Southampton: Ryan Bertrand out of England squad with injury

Southampton full-back Ryan Bertrand has pulled out of the England squad in order to have a back problem looked at in further detail.

The 28-year-old was named by Gareth Southgate for the upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy, but the left-back has been withdrawn by his club as a ‘precautionary measure’.

Hopefully, this means that the Saints will not be without the stand-in captain for the next game – a must-win match against West Ham at the London Stadium.

Bertrand has been near ever-present for the Saints this season and the club will therefore want to make sure the Englishman is at full fitness for side’s relegation run-in.

Whilst the ex-Chelsea man is a committed team-player, the decision will no-doubt be a dent to his personal ambitions, with the World Cup just three months away.

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Whilst a lot of what happened under Mauricio Pellegrino should be brushed under the carpet, Southampton supporters would be naive to suggest that Ryan Bertrand hasn’t looked disinterested a lot of the time this season.

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Therefore it’s a fair enough shout to suggest that Bertrand may look to move on this summer, especially as the first-choice left-back spot for England is more open than ever.

The 28-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City last summer before Pep Guardiola’s side eventually recruited Benjamin Mendy from AS Monaco.

Currently in the prime of his career, this summer’s World Cup will arguably be Bertrand’s last at the top his game, meaning his absence from the friendlies could be seen as a serious dent to his hopes of making the squad.

With that being said, the Champions League winner should logically be named in the final team for Russia, having been consistently named by both Southgate and England’s former bosses, despite the Saints fighting relegation for much of the past six months.

As per the norm, England’s first friendly will take place on Friday night before the match against Italy is scheduled for the following Tuesday.