South London’s Jadon Sancho facing a major challenge to earn England World Cup spot

Gareth Southgate has admitted it will be tough for Jadon Sancho to earn a place in England’s World Cup squad.

The Three Lions head to Qatar in five months and will be looking to build on their fourth placed finish last time out in the 2018 competition in Russia.

The Camberwell-born winger, 22, has been left out of the England squad for their current batch of Nations League matches which are set to be completed on Tuesday night as they take on Hungary.

Manchester United’s Sancho was part of the England squad that made it to the final of the Euros last summer but struggled to make a real impact.

His club do not have Champions League fixtures next season after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

Asked if United’s players will benefit fitness and sharpness wise from not having those additional matches against Europe’s elite, Southgate said: “We’ve only got one with us [Manchester United players]. They’ve got a lot to do to get back in the squad.

“The lower the load then of course the less likely for injuries and the hope that players can be that little bit sharper but there’s no way of knowing.

“Some players are at their best when they’re in a rhythm of playing and you talk to some of our lads now and they want to play every game because that’s how they feel they get to their best level.

“Others need the breaks, they need longer recovery between the matches to be at their best.”