Gareth Southgate has explained his decision not to call up Wolves skipper conor Coady.

The defender has missed out despite some impressive displays, with James Tarkowski and Michael Keane getting in ahead of him.

Per Southgate, it is because England will play four at the back in the upcoming international games, leaving little space for Coady in the squad.

"I can't say anything other than positive things from what I've seen, but the system we're playing at the moment, it's difficult to map him into and how would he be as a centre back in a four?" Southgate said in the Times.

"He's playing as a sweeper in a back three, so it's very different to how anybody else in the Premier League is playing.

"He's having an outstanding season and you can't fail to be impressed.

"He's very comfortable on the ball, but it's quite difficult to put that into a back four.

"We'd been trying him in what even might be the only time he's ever played centrally in a back four if we have him in.

"Yes, we could bring him in to train and have a look at that, but we wouldn't really know enough."