England may have left the World Cup in Qatar broken once again after the disappointment of defeat by France in the quarter-final but manager Gareth Southgate obviously believes nothing needs fixing.
Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers away to Italy in Naples and against Ukraine at Wembley is heavy on loyalty to the England team that performed creditably in Qatar despite falling short once more.
The most eye-catching selection, on several levels, is the inclusion of Brentford striker Ivan Toney after an outstanding season with 16 Premier League goals.
Toney was selected for the Uefa Nations League games against Italy and Germany last September but surprisingly remained unused before disappearing off the radar completely when it came to the World Cup.
The 26-year-old’s inclusion is merited but is made against the backdrop of Toney facing the prospect of a suspension after accepting he had broken Football Association betting rules.
He has admitted some, but not all, of 262 charges made against him by the FA, and will next have an appearance in front of a disciplinary panel.
