Gareth Southgate has been told to drop Raheem Sterling for England's opening game of the World Cup against Iran. The Three Lions are set to kickstart their tournament in Qatar on November 21 with a number of in-form players vying for a place in the front-three.
Sterling, who swapped the Etihad Stadium for Stamford Bridge in the summer, has featured 18 times for Chelsea this season, directly contributing towards seven goals. The winger has struggled to build any momentum since Graham Potter replaced former head coach Thomas Tuchel, scoring just none in his previous seven Premier League appearances.
Though, he isn't entirely to blame for his goal drought with the new boss controversially operating Sterling as a wing-back. Potter's plan has somewhat backfired, with doubt now cast over whether the £47.5million-rated talisman warrants a place in Southgate's first-team.
