England is relegated from the Nations League after losing to Italy - 5 talking points
ITALY 1-0 ENGLAND: Gareth Southgate's side was relegated to Tier B of the Nations League after a defeat in Milan extended their winless streak to five games.
England suffered the humiliation of defeat on Friday night, as a 1-0 defeat to Italy sent Gareth Southgate's side tumbling into the Nations League's second tier. In a dreadful first half, neither side threatened to break the deadlock, but Giacomo Raspadori scored in style in the 68th minute to condemn the Three Lions to another defeat - a result that means England will begin the next Nations League campaign in Tier B.
With the World Cup fast approaching, Mirror Football looks at five talking points from a disappointing night for England, who are winless in five games and face old rivals Germany at Wembley on Monday...
Even before the game on Friday night began, it was clear that England fans would be left with more questions than answers heading into the World Cup. After earning his first international call-up, Ivan Toney was surprisingly left out of England's 23-man squad for Friday's match. While Harry Kane's place as England's main man is secure, this week's double-header provided the ideal opportunity to see if Toney is capable of filling in for the Three Lions' No.9. Instead, he will only have one game to make a first impression.
In terms of starting positions, the left-wing back position appears to be up for grabs following Luke Shaw's disappointing start to the season with Manchester United. However, it was Arsenal's right winger Bukayo Saka who score.who was installed ahead of Shaw and Ben Chilwell, who appeared to be the most likely to deputize for Shaw in Italy
Is Southgate going to use Saka as a winger in Qatar? Because, with only one more match before the World Cup, surely it would have been far more beneficial to give Chilwell a chance after his lengthy absence. Saka, who was named England's Player of the Year prior to the match, surely deserves better than to be pigeon-holed into a position that isn't a good fit for him. England requires his skill and guile in the final third, not deep within his own half.
There are still unanswered questions about key positions in England's squad, and Southgate is running out of time and opportunities to find answers.
Southgate always was likely to stick with Harry Maguire amidst his struggles at Manchester United, a strategy he previously employed with Jordan Pickford, who has never let his country down despite his erratic form at Everton prior to this year.
But, with exception of Pickford, Maguire failed to silence his detractors while on international duty, and it's becoming clear that the beleaguered centre-half should not be near this England team when the World Cup kicks off in Qatar in two months.
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