In one of the biggest surprises at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Raheem Sterling will not play in the Round of 16 game against Senegal. Read here to find out the important reasons why Gareth Southgate made this shocking decision.
England are favorites to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a star-studded list of players including Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish. The famous Three Lions won the tournament at home in 1966 and failed to reach the final again. After that, their best performances were the semi-finals in Italy 1990 and Russia 2018.
During the first round at Qatar 2022, England dominated Group B. They beat Iran (6-2), drew with the United States (0-0) and beat Wales (3-0). Gareth Southgate’s team thus secured a ticket to the round of 16 in first place. Now the next challenge is Senegal, the runner-up from Group A.
Raheem Sterling was one of England’s key players during the group stage. He started the first two matches and scored a goal against Iran. He then rested a bit in the third game against Wales. Now, he should have been crucial in the round of 16 to beat Senegal, but the 27-year-old is surprisingly out.
Why is Raheem Sterling not playing in England vs Senegal?
Raheem Sterling is not playing against Senegal in the Round of 16 for personal reasons. Furthermore, in a very shocking turn of events, the striker is also not available to come from the bench for the single-elimination game. Phil Foden gets the call to take his place on attack with Harry Kane.
“Raheem Sterling is not available for selection for the #ThreeLions tonight as he is dealing with a family matter”, was the message by the FA to confirm the news on Twitter
