Summary

  • 'Raheem is very important for us but I felt it was the right thing.'

  • Sterling dropped from squad to face Montenegro after Gomez clash

  • England need point to guarantee Euro 2020 qualification

  • Get involved via #bbcfootball

Live Reporting

Tom Rostance

  1. Ben Chilwell is not going to speak, unsurprisingly. And that's the end of that!

    See you later.

  2. That is the end of Gareth Southgate's news conference people.

    The key points:

    • Raheem Sterling is effectively sitting out a one-game ban
    • He will be considered for matches after Thursday
    • The squad are all together, nobody has been sent home
    • Gareth Southgate is not too happy about info leaking out of the camp

  3. Gareth Southgate: "I have discussions with all of my staff and the leadership group but ultimately I am the manager. In my view we are moving forward now, there seems to be information passed around, which is a consequence of the England football team.

    "That is difficult and is something we need to think about. The team gets out, information gets out, I have to deal with that. Every player has had the opportunity to speak to me if they wanted to."

  4. Gareth Southgate: "It is crucial to me that everyone is comfortable together and talking and that is the case. Nobody has been excluded, we are all together and communicating."

  5. Gareth Southgate: "I love all of my players. We are like a family and all families have disagreements. The important thing is for a family to communicate and work through problems. I don't expect as a manager to not have to deal with issues, that's part of the job.

    "Our focus is now on moving forward."

  6. Gareth Southgate: "I consult closely with all of the players. They have an understanding on the way we have worked which has bought us togetherness, which is still there. We are a united group. We have already turned our focus on to the football. We are drawing a line on it."

  7. Gareth Southgate: "It is not for me to discuss the details of the incident, there is nothing to be gained from that. In the end I have to find the right solution for the group. That's a difficult line, you try to be fair when dealing with all players. I won't always get that right but I am the manager.

    "Raheem is very important for us but I felt it was the right thing."

  8. Gareth Southgate: "The decision has been made not to consider Raheem for the game on Thursday. That's the end of the matter for me.

    "I am very impressed with the players. They have been mature."

  9. Gareth Southgate: "It's important to always be as fair as I can be when I make a decision. A number of our senior players have been active in our discussions. I want to get a feel for how the group are but I am the manager and there are decisions which I have to take."

  10. Gareth Southgate: "We are a team. I understand our profile and the insatiable interest in our camp which we have to be aware of. That's the reality of why things become public which would not happen at a club."

  11. Gareth Southgate: "The reality is that I am not prepared to go into detail about the incident. There is enough conjecture and talk out there. We dealt with it as a group and we move forward."

  12. Gareth Southgate: "When you have made a decision to not select Raheem it was going to become public. I would rather deal with that now. The decision has been made."

  13. Gareth Southgate: "I wouldn't normally speak at this stage but it is important to speak publicly about this. I am dealing with a very young squad and we are in a sport where emotions run high. Raheem explained last night that for a biref moment his emotions ran over. It would be correct to say that's not the same for Joe. These things happen in football.

    "We have excellent senior players who have played a part in bringing everyone together."

  14. Here comes Gareth Southgate...

  15. Stephen Warnock
    Ex-Liverpool defender on BBC World Service

    From a player's point of view, if they have agreed to shake on it and get on with it, that's it, it's put to bed. I've had arguments in changing rooms so many times either after a game, during a game, half time, and then as soon as you come in the next day it's done, it's put to bed.

  16. We went up too early didn't we?

  17. Apparently Ben Chilwell will be joining Gareth Southgate for this news conference. A quiet half hour ahead for him, I'd wager.

  18. Worth pointing out that in 13 years in the job I don't think I've ever been to a press conference which started on time.

  19. Someone in an England tracksuit has popped their head around the door.

  20. There's someone behind the fire door.