Antonio Conte believes Eric Dier still has a "great possibility" of going to the World Cup with England despite missing out on the Three Lions squad for their upcoming friendlies. Really catching the eye since his return from injury and strengthening Tottenham's backline as a result, England boss Gareth Southgate elected against calling up the 28-year-old.
Arsenal's Ben White and Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace come in for the fixtures against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, joining Harry Maguire, John Stones, Tyrone Mings and Conor Coady as the centre-backs in the squad. While Dier certainly has time on his side despite the setback as the World Cup doesn't begin until November, his Spurs manager believes he is one of the best defenders in the league.
"Honestly I hope for the players to receive this call up," said the Italian in his pre-match press conference. "He’s working very hard and in this moment he’s one of the best defenders in the league. He has also big space to improve his performance and his quality and to become a stronger and stronger player.
