This change to England’s squad for the Montenegro game will get far less attention that Raheem Sterling being sent home, but it’s still an injury that Gareth Southgate could’ve done without.
You can never say that Fabian Delph is completely integral to the England set up, but he is versatile and a useful option to keep things ticking over in midfield.
According to The BBC, Delph has picked up an injury and will return to Everton for treatment. At this point there doesn’t seem to be a replacement being called up so Southgate will need to make do with the current squad.
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In many ways it’s surprising to see him continue to get called up at this point in his career. He’s 29 so it’s highly unlikely that he will suddenly blossom and become a better player, while he’s not exactly been in good form for a poor Everton side either.
There’s no word yet how bad the injury might be, obviously it’s bad enough to prevent him from playing against Montenegro, but there’s no indication if Everton should be worried at this point.
He will be hoping he gets more chances in the future to add to his 20 international caps.
England play Montenegro on Thursday night with a 19:45 kick off. Gareth Southgate will be hoping he doesn’t have to put up with any further disruptions or distractions to his preparations after this.