Man Utd pair among five England stars set to be phased out during the Lee Carsley era

The widely beloved September international break is here and it’s a defining week for interim England manager Lee Carsley, who is looking to ‘force the FA’s hand’ to ensure he lands the job permanently. 

The U21 European Championship-winning boss went bold (or bald, ha) with his first squad, including four uncapped players for Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

The FA have kept their options open by making Carsley the interim manager, but we have been here before and know what’s coming. He’s the favourite to replace fellow yes-man Gareth Southgate for a reason, with it feeling inevitable that he will land the job permanently as long as the next couple of international breaks are not a disaster.

Carsley is not the most exciting appointment in the world and it would be underwhelming considering a certain Spaniard could be available. But his tactical approach is much more attacking-minded than Southgate’s and he is right to put his own stamp on squad selection for as long as he’s in the role.

So with with Carsley set for the long haul, we have decided to pick out five internationals who should be expected to drop out of contention while the 50-year-old is in the dugout…

Nick Pope (Newcastle United)
Making his return from a prolonged injury, Pope has picked up where he left off for Newcastle United in the Premier League this season and he’s back in the England squad.

While Pope was unavailable, Jordan Pickford has been consistently excellent for England and Everton, but this cannot be said this season as he’s one of ten Premier League stars flopping so far this campaign. 

Pickford’s woes will have to continue for quite a while if he’s to lose the England No.1 jersey, but the final chapter for Pope is much closer.

The veteran goalkeeper will hope that his injury days are behind him, but the 32-year-old’s chances of being England’s number-one are over.

His spot in Carsley’s squad could soon be occupied by Southampton newbie Aaron Ramsdale if he shines while having significantly more work to do, while young pair James Trafford and James Beadle are waiting in the wings.

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Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
After missing Euro 2024 due to a lack of match time, Maguire is back in the England squad for this month’s break, but his return could be short-lived.

While you have to admire his insistence on sticking it out at Man Utd to prove himself, his decision to stay may equally be down to – feel free to call me a cynic – his desire to get as much cash out of the club as he can.

Regardless, his transfer stance has harmed his standing in the England squad, which should worsen further in the coming months.

Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez appear primed to be Erik ten Hag’s first-choice pairing at centre-back for however long he lasts without being sacked, which could be days rather than months if reports are to be believed. 

Maguire will drop further down the pecking order once Leny Yoro returns to fitness, while Marc Guehi’s stellar Euro 2024 campaign will surely see him start alongside John Stones when both are available.

The Three Lions are still not spoiled for choice at centre-back, but with Levi Colwill and Jarrad Branthwaite emerging, Maguire could soon see himself out of the fold.

Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
There was a time when left-back was England’s strongest position, but this is far from the case as Shaw and Ben Chilwell’s injury woes will give Carsley plenty of headaches.

He won’t even have the chance to use utility man Kieran Trippier, who has called time on his international career as he negotiates a ‘contract termination’ at Newcastle.

When fully fit, Shaw is one of the best left-backs in the Premier League and he’s consistently shone for England. The problem is that he’s barely available and Southgate’s sacrifice at Euro 2024 was to the detriment of the rest of his team.

Shaw is not in Carsley’s squad after missing the start of the season, while Man Utd have proved they already have one eye on life without the Englishman with Noussair Mazraoui coming straight into the team. Ratcliffe and INEOS also reportedly targeting a £30m Premier League star to succeed their injury-prone defender.

In the England squad, the versatility of Colwill and Tino Livramento will come in handy for Carsley, who will soon have no choice but to look past Shaw as he cannot be relied on at this stage.

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Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Walker was one of England’s most consistent performers during Southgate’s reign, but he was among the disappointments at Euro 2024 as the Three Lions flattered to deceive en route to not turning up in the final. 

The Man City star’s omission from Carsley’s first squad was supposedly down to his lack of minutes for Man City so far this season. While this is a reasonable explanation, the 34-year-old surely does not have much national team football remaining, especially considering the gluttony of rivals ready to take his place.

It remains to be seen whether Reece James will be the same player when/if he eventually gets a run of games under his belt. But Carsley could just play Trent Alexander-Arnold in his natural position (which is a wild thought, we know), while there’s the prospect of Ben White making a return. 

It does not take a rocket scientist to see that White’s absence from the England squad was due to his poor relationship with Southgate and former assistant Steve Holland. But his superb growth for Arsenal means he’s one of Carsley’s best options at right-back, so the interim boss should make the call to make amends with the ‘disrespected’ 26-year-old.

Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)
‘Dear Lord, what a sad little life, Ivan. You ruined Chelsea’s deadline day, completely, so you could have all the Saudi money, but I hope now you spend it on getting some lessons in grace and decorum because you have all the grace of a reversing dump truck without any tyres on.’

That is at least how I recall that infamous Come Dine With Me quote. Hmm…

Regardless, the £40m striker’s international career should have ended as soon as he put pen to paper on his move to the Saudi Pro League, as needed to be the case with Jordan Henderson. 

I do not often agree with Paul Merson, but the pundit saying Toney won’t play for his country again after this summer should ring true as strikers playing in competitive leagues take his place.