When United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford on Monday, Maguire and Luke Shaw were the unsolicited substitutes, but what their absence meant for them to hope to have a place in England's World Cup squad? Southgate watched at Old Trafford on Monday night with his assistant Steve Holland in hopes of seeing as many potential England players as possible. But while Rashford and Jardine Sancho have reminded england managers with impressive performances that United are currently turning from losing to Brentford and Brighton, the outlook for Maguire and Luke Shaw is not too good, and they are two key players in England's Euro 2020 final Southgate squad and are now sitting on the bench will be a worrying issue, with just 89 days to go before the World Cup.
Southgate always says that to be in his squad, you have to play well and play for your club often. So Maguire's disappointing performance and his being pressed to the bench in one of the biggest games of the Premier League season was very worrying for the defender who did nothing. Over the past five years, Maguire has been a key figure in England's defence and a key performer in the last two major competitions. His defensive and leadership skills were important factors in helping England reach the World Cup semi-finals in Russia and the final of the European Championship for England.
He has been one of the first names on Southgate's roster, and Southgate has consistently expressed support for The Manchester United captain. But Maguire's malaise proved to be long-lived. After a poor performance at United, he was booed harshly by England fans in march against Ivory Coast. At the time, the England boss called the boos "an absolute joke" and continued: "Maguire has been our number one player in these games and has my full support and support. But again, I wouldn't say to anyone that they are guaranteed starters for World Cup teams. This is not the environment I want to create, nor is it the competition we need.
Luke Shaw was a regular left-back for most of last season, but what about between injury absences? At the end of half,in a 4-0 win over Brentford, he was replaced by Tenhag, who was completely excluded from the game against Liverpool. With Chelsea's Chilwell also losing favor to the club manager, Southgate will be increasingly worried about his position at left-back. The pace and level of performance in the Premier League in the coming weeks will be crucial for United's England players, with World Cup hopes for Maguire and Shaw still hanging in the air.