England coach Gareth Southgate admits Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is struggling with his fitness.
Southgate has revealed that he held Henderson back for England’s win against Italy after the Liverpool captain was unable to train properly.
Henderson was named on the bench for the game with Southgate instead opting for Kalvin Phillips in midfield alongside Rice.
And when discussing the call ahead of the game, Southgate revealed that his decision was as a result of Henderson, who missed Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last week, not being able to take part in full training.
He said: “Hendo was a big part of the midfield in the World Cup but hasn’t trained fully over the last week so we’re keeping him back.”
