England boss Gareth Southgate has explained his decision to leave Raheem Sterling out of his latest squad.
The Chelsea star has improved under Mauricio Pochettino this season, scoring two goals and clocking up one assist from his last five Premier League outings.
However, despite Sterling coming good in west London, the winger has once again been omitted from the latest England squad.
The Three Lions are due to Malta and North Macedonia in Euro qualifiers on November 17 and November 20.
England news: Raheem Sterling has been a key player for Gareth Southgate in previous years
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England have won five of their six matches so far, netting 19 goals along the way.
A draw against Ukraine remains the only blot on their record, with that fixture taking place back in September.
And Southgate has admitted Sterling has been left out because he couldn't decide who to drop to make way for the 28-year-old.
"The door is 100 per cent open not only for Raheem but also other players who aren't in this squad," he said.
"We don't need to know about his quality, his personality.
"He is a crucial part of the journey we've been on."
Another player who has missed out on a place in Southgate's squad is Arsenal star Eddie Nketiah.
The forward made his debut as England beat Australia 1-0 in the last international break on October 13.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game that night to give Southgate victory.
And the England boss has insisted both Watkins and Newcastle's Callum Wilson are ahead of Nketiah in his pecking order.
"There is competition at the moment," said the 53-year-old.
"We see Callum [Wilson] and Ollie [Watkins] slightly ahead of him, but he's progressing well."
Another controversial call from Southgate was selecting Kalvin Phillips.
There once was a time when the midfielder was considered a key player for the Three Lions.
However, he's struggled for game time at Manchester City ever since moving to the Etihad Stadium from Leeds in the summer transfer window of 2021.
Southgate, however, backs Phillips and thinks he remains a key cog in his machine.
"For any player who's not playing football, it's about their career," he stated.
"[Playing for] England is a consequence of club football.'
"We know the quality of his play, he was in the team of the tournament at Euro 2020.
"We know he can play at this level and has continued to do a good job for us.
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"We'd like him to be in a better rhythm, but that's not the case at the moment.
"At the same time, not many players can play in his position."
And Southgate also insists there are no concerns over Marcus Rashford's form, despite the Manchester United star scoring just once for his club this season.
"We are really happy with him, he scores goals and he enjoys his football with us," the England boss added.
"For me there's nothing to discuss. What happens at his club has nothing to do with me."
England squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Ramsdale, Johnstone
Defenders: Colwill, Dunk, Guehi, Maguire, Tomori, Trippier, Walker
Midfielders: Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham, Gallagher, Henderson, Phillips, Rice
Forwards: Bowen, Foden, Grealish, Kane, Maddison, Rashford, Saka, Watkins, Wilson.
