Gareth Southgate yesterday revealed his squad for the next set of World Cup Qualifiers this month, and with Patrick Bamford’s recent ankle injury, the Leeds forward did not make the squad.
However, even if he was fully fit it seems as though Bamford may not have been called up anyway. When asked about whether Bamford would’ve made the squad had he been fit, Southgate replied “I can’t give you a definitive as to how we saw this month, we were waiting to see how he came through, how he played for his club, that mapped against others who would be in the frame.”
Southgate then, rather bizarrely, went on to admit that Ollie Watkins would have made the previous England squad had he been available. This all but confirms that the only reason Bamford made the squad was because Watkins was injured at the time.
Given how Bamford had zero service when he made his England debut last month in combination with his lack of goals so far this season, it seems his chances of appearing once again for England are slimming.
