England boss Gareth Southgate is adamant Premier League managers would also select the best players for international duty if they were in his position - as the club versus country battle continues with injuries continuing to grow.
Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and Liverpool Joe Gomez have both suffered injuries on international duty with the Three Lions, while Chelsea's Ben Chilwell has also picked up a minor issue as the players' schedule continues to be heavy across club and country.
The current international break has seen the Three Lions compete in three matches across a week period, with a Republic of Ireland friendly and a dead rubber against Iceland either side of a crunch contest versus Belgium.