‘I fully expect’: Sky reporter makes Maguire & Mings England claim

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Rob Dorsett has claimed that he ‘fully expects’ Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings to remain in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, but questioned whether Tottenham defender Eric Dier will earn a recall, as he told Sky Sports News.

Whilst Dier has enjoyed a number of strong performances for Tottenham this season, it has been a mixed story for Mings at Villa Park and a very problematic one for Maguire at Manchester United.

For Mings, at least he can push towards the fact that his form has picked up under Steven Gerrard and he has helped Villa secure nine clean sheets this season.

The same can’t be said for Maguire who, during Manchester United’s Champions League exit to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, was cheered off by the Old Trafford crowd when he was substituted.

As a result, many England fans feel that Maguire shouldn’t be named in Southgate’s upcoming squad.

But, according to Dorsett, that’s not going to happen, as he dropped Dier’s name into the hat and stated the Spurs defender could argue he has been the ‘most in-form’ England defender in the Premier League this season.

“Here’s a name from the past, Eric Dier,” said Dorsett. “He hasn’t been involved with England since before the Euros.

“He was very, very upset to miss out on that squad. Southgate said then that he was ‘still very much part of his plans’.

“He is probably the most in-form England defender right now. Could he get a recall? Because I fully expect Harry Maguire, John Stones, Conor Coady and Tyrone Mings to still be in that squad, even though three of those four aren’t in the best form of their life right now.”

Like with every England squad announcement, there is more talk around who hasn’t been picked, rather than who has.

That won’t change when Southgate steps up to the mic and given that he has been very loyal to players before, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he acts in the same manner to a number of his out-of-form stars.

There is probably no one that is so low on confidence and form than Maguire, so if he does remain in the Three Lions set-up, as expected, then it will be met with anger, no doubt.

But that doesn’t mean that players like Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Fikyo Tomori and Ben White shouldn’t be selected because a number of them deserve that call.