Chelsea midfielder Raheem Sterling has rejected doubts over England coach Gareth Southgate.

England face Germany on Monday night in their final game before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar in November.

It is the last game of a Nations League campaign in which Southgate's side have taken two points from their five games, failing to score from open play and being relegated from League A as a result.

terling, who will pick up his 79th England cap in the clash with Germany at Wembley, feels the barbs aimed at Southgate are unjust.

Asked what he made of the criticism of Southgate, the Chelsea forward replied: "That's what comes with football at the highest level.

"You are right under the eye. A lot of it has been unfair but that's the level we are at with England. We are under that pressure to win and a small loss of form is not something to panic about.

"We have a huge opportunity to come in the winter. We can show what we can do again.

"What Gareth has done - with a semi-final (at the 2018 World Cup) and a final (at Euro 2020) - that just shows the direction we are going in. Yes, we are not at the level we know we should be but we have positives to look at."