England boss Gareth Southgate has explained his decision to leave out a Manchester United midfielder from his group.

The Three Lions head coach axed Mason Mount from the England squad because he is not fully fit.

Southgate is a huge fan of the 24-year-old, but believes that he needs more time on the training field to get back to his very best.

“Physically he's getting back up to a level," the Three Lions boss told reporters this week.

“He's been an important player for us and we like him a lot. But I didn't think he'd done enough to be ahead of the others at this moment in time."

“I read a lot of things about Mason and I think he's a very under-appreciated player - but not by us," Southgate told reporters back in 2020.

“He's a top player. He can receive (the ball) under pressure.

“He's intelligent with his movement. He's, of course, still learning. In a tactical game where it's just as important defensively what the forwards do, to have a player like him who can do both sides (is important)."