This Sunday, in the preview of the duel between England and Senegal for the round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar –which ended with a 3-0 victory for the Europeans– There was a situation that caught the attention of the fans and also the media: the absence of striker Raheem Sterling from Gareth Southgate’s squad.
At first it was explained that their marginalization was due to personal motivessomething that was later endorsed by the English federation itself: “He is not available for selection tonight as he is dealing with a family matter”indicated through social networks.
However, after the match against the Africans, it was learned that the footballer left the campus concentration to return to his home in London, after armed criminals broke into his home on Saturday night with his family inside it.
The information was confirmed by the coach Gareth Southwate after the win over Senegal: “Sometimes football is not the most important thing and the family must come first”began by pointing out about it.
In turn, the technician confirmed that Sterling traveled because “We want to give him that space and we will see in the next few days how everything develops”he added.
for his part Declan Ricea West Ham United midfielder, also addressed the issue: “I saw him at breakfast this morning and then the coach said he was having difficulties at home so we all sent him a message.”
In that sense, the question remains if Sterling –who scored a goal in the debut win against Iran– will return or not to the concentration of his selection with a view to the vital duel against France, valid for the quarterfinals of Qatar 2022.