Three Lions Grow Concerned as Marcus Rashford Struggles for Man Utd Game Time

England manager Gareth Southgate is growing increasingly concerned about the amount of game time a number of his first-team players are getting in the Premier League.

The former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender has already vowed that only players who are performing domestically will be taken to the World Cup this summer.

However, Southgate is concerned that a few of his players - most notably Marcus Rashford - could be going to Russia short of match sharpness, according to a report from the Times.

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The 20-year-old striker, who has often been forced into wide areas to accommodate Romelu Lukaku this season, has been on the pitch for just 52 minutes in the Premier League this calendar year.

The arrival of Alexis Sánchez in January has also cast more doubt over Rashford's role in the Manchester United first-team and Southgate is growing increasingly concerned that the promising youngster will be lacking confidence and sharpness this summer.

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Southgate is also concerned about Gary Cahill, Adam Lallana and Joe Hart - all players who are expected to be on the plane to Russia.

Cahill has fallen down the pecking order since the arrival of Antonio Rüdiger at Stamford Bridge, with Andreas Christensen's return from a two-year loan in Germany pushing Chelsea's captain further out of contention.

Liverpool's star midfielder Lallana will struggle to find a way back into Jürgen Klopp's plans permanently after recently returning from injury, while Hart's losing battle with Adrián at West Ham could see another goalkeeper become the first choice in Russia.