![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/10\/05\/14\/05135917-ad5ac36a-e97b-4ca6-be8f-a1817cba9578.png?quality=75&width=230&auto=webp\")
\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/10\/05\/14\/GettyImages-1667363130.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe only have 10 matches a year. And there\u2019s been times when\u2026 Bukayo, for example, we haven\u2019t always played. But there are certain key games where, if it\u2019s possible to have your best players, then you do want to have them. So we\u2019ve got that responsibility of qualifying for the country but, I\u2019ve been a player. I\u2019ve never ever taken a risk on a player\u2019s physical wellbeing. And nor would I.\u201d<\/p>\n
In regards to those Saka has superseded as one of England\u2019s top attackers, Southgate said Sterling and Mount hadn\u2019t quite done enough to justify their selection over others. It means Sterling has missed two successive squads.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t spoken to him since last time,\u201d Southgate said of the Chelsea forward. \u201cWe obviously discussed this going into the last camp. He\u2019d scored two against Luton, but I said then that the wide players we picked, were really happy with. [Marcus] Rashford, [Phil] Foden, Sakaand Jack Grealish have all been consistently good for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Jarrod Bowen, there\u2019s an opportunity with the Australia game to have a look at somebody we don\u2019t know as much about. He\u2019s been with us, but not as much as Raheem. We know what Raheem is capable of and Bowen has got five in seven, so in terms of the opportunity opened up with [Eberechi] Eze and [Callum] Wilson out, [Ollie] Watkins and Bowen are both in a hot streak of form. That\u2019s the thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the end, we\u2019ve got brilliant competition for places in several areas of the pitch. So it\u2019s, yeah, there is a battle now, without a doubt. For a long period of time, Raheem was the one that was scoring goals for us and his club. We now have goals from Saka, Foden, Rashford. Rashford\u2019s always been a scorer with us. Grealish is a different type of wide player, so now we\u2019re getting goals from Jude [Bellingham]. We\u2019re not just reliant on Harry Kane. For a long time, it was Harry and Raheem that were knocking up the goals. But there\u2019s a different competition in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/10\/05\/16\/GettyImages-1714437735.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Raheem Sterling has been left out of the England line-up for a second consecutive time <\/p>\n
In terms of not calling Sterling, Southgate said there was little he could add.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, I think I\u2019m a pretty good communicator with the players. You can go on and on forever, but I’m always there to talk to them. I think they would have a different level of communication with me than any other coach they have, so, I suppose I could phone everybody every time, but also, what am I going to say from last month?<\/p>\n
\u201cLast month he\u2019d scored two against Luton and had a good start to the season, but I outlined the decision and that decision is just as it was last month.\u201d<\/p>\n
Southgate said the decision over Mount involved a few more factors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s still settling into a new club and took time out at the end of last season. I think he missed the whole of the end of last season with his injury. He\u2019s getting back up to speed from that long injury at the start of this season \u2013 and then he gets another one. Physically he\u2019s getting back up to a level. He\u2019s been an important player for us and we like him a lot. But I didn\u2019t think he\u2019d done enough to be in ahead of the others at this moment in time.\u201d<\/p>\n