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England manager Gareth Southgate has explained why he cannot give players a free chance to feature in their FIFA World Cup clash against Wales on 30 November, despite qualification to the Round of 16 being almost assured.
England are in Group B alongside Wales, Iran and the USA at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Three Lions sit atop the group table with four points and will most likely secure a spot in the last 16.
For their qualification to come under threat, England will have to suffer a 4-0 defeat to Wales, who are at the bottom of the group with a solitary point.
This has prompted speculation that Southgate could possibly rotate his starting XI and give caps to players who are yet to feature in this year's FIFA World Cup.
However, the English boss has stated that he cannot freely hand out caps as the team's priority is to progress as far as possible in such a major tournament.
Southgate said in a press conference (via Sky Sports):
"That's always a challenge and we [do] have 26 players. But we are at a major tournament, it's not about giving caps out. We want to go as far as we possibly can. Players support each other and some will be disappointed if they're not playing."
He added:
"In other camps throughout the year, we try to give people game time where we can, but when you're in a World Cup, you can't be thinking in that way unless you've already qualified and have a game with a different approach."
England boss Gareth Southgate comments on what type of lineup to expect in FIFA World Cup clash against Wales
The England boss was asked what type of lineup could be expected from the Three Lions in their FIFA World Cup clash against Wales on 30 November. Southgate stated that he would select a starting XI the he believes can win the game.
In the aforementioned press conference, he said:
"We want to win football matches. We have to balance freshness with stability, that's always the decision you're making with the team. We have a chance to win the group with a positive result. We are going to pick a team that we believe can win the game. That's our priority."
Southgate also provided an injury update on Harry Kane, who suffered a knock in the Three Lions' 6-2 victory over Iran. The English striker subsequently played the full 90 minutes in the following fixture against the USA.
However, there have been doubts as to whether he will be fit and Southgate has addressed it:
"He's fine with the knock he had."
