England: Jack Grealish, Mason Mount can shine together for the Three Lions, says Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate had benched Jack Grealish for last month's Nations League games against Belgium and Denmark but handed the Aston Villa man his second England start in their 3-0 win over Ireland on Thursday night, playing him in an advanced role on the left with Mount keeping his place in midfield. Southgate says there is space for both players to be in the same starting XI.

England manager Gareth Southgate said midfielders Jack Grealish and Mason Mount can play together for the national team on the evidence of their performances in Thursday's 3-0 friendly win over Ireland.

Asked on ITV if the duo could play together more frequently, Southgate said: "Yeah of course. There's a lot of other players in the squad as well, we have great competition for places.

"I was pleased with the way they moved the ball, Harry Winks did well, Bukayo Saka on the left looked a lot more comfortable than his first game."

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England beat Ireland for the first time since 1985 thanks to goals by Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Southgate said he was particularly impressed with how Sancho and Grealish combined in attack.

"The two players in those roles... they've got the freedom to go either side and create overloads, and at times they did that really well," Southgate added.

"I thought the midfield players used the ball quite well, and the combination with the full backs and forward players was exciting."

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RASHFORD, COADY TO MISS BELGIUM, ICELAND

England will be without injured striker Marcus Rashford and defender Conor Coady, who is self-isolating as a precaution, for their Nations League matches against Belgium on Sunday and Iceland three days later.

Rashford missed Thursday's 3-0 friendly victory over Ireland because of an injury sustained last weekend for Manchester United and will not return to the squad.

Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Coady has been forced to self-isolate having discovered he had come into contact with somebody prior to joining the camp who had tested positive for Covid-19 via an NHS Test and Trace alert.

Coady had returned two negative tests as part of the FA and UEFA's protocol but has to adhere to a period of self-isolation under UK government health protocols.

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