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Pep Guardiola thinks that the fact that Kevin de Bruyne got injured and he hasn’t had to feature in too many games for City this season is actually a blessing in disguise for him because he needed a break just to get freshened up on the mental front.

De Bruyne played a whole lot of Football for the Sky Blues the previous season and then he went on to represent his national side Belgium in the World Cup. So there was that weariness ahead of the start of the season because he didn’t get a proper off season.

England head coach Gareth Southgate has urged his players to forget about the World Cup heartache ahead of the weekend’s Nations League game against Croatia. The Three Lions were denied the opportunity of reaching a third World Cup final in their history during the summer after the Croatians came from behind to secure a 2-1 win in added extra-time.

The Three Lions have since played out a goalless draw against Croatia on the road but the weekend game remains the most important yet in their recent history. Following Croatia’s surprise 3-2 win over Spain, the Three Lions have the opportunity to reach the Nations League finals next year with a victory over Zlatko Dalic’s side and speaking to reporters, Southgate said that his players will be prepared for the occasion.

In light of the unanimous vote to adopt Video Assistant Referee VAR in Premier League football from next season, Manchester United and Liverpool would have to make plans to get giant screens in their stadiums. This would mean rearranging the seat patterns in order not to obstruct some fans during games next term.

The rest of the clubs in elite English football have big screens which will help the fans understand VAR decisions. The technology was adopted following a successful test on the world stage at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe believes Callum Wilson should be knocking on the doors of the England national team after his impressive start to the campaign on the south Coast. The marksman has been unlucky with two serious knee ligament injuries over the past three seasons but he has started the current campaign on a strong note with five goals and four assists from 10 Premier League appearances.

As such, there have already been noises made regarding a possible call-up for the marksman and Howe feels the striker should have caught the radar of Southgate after his recent brace at Craven Cottage, he said: “He is certainly going to be in Gareth’s mind, I have no doubt about that. Callum just has to keep doing what he is doing. If he continues to score and keeps doing well then it will only be a matter of time.

Gareth Southgate has admitted that the new Premier League campaign starting time (just a few weeks after the World Cup actually ended) put a number of managers in a spot of bother - though the most notable clubs that are struggling are Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

The England manager claims that most of the Premier League executives were expecting England to get knocked out of the competition early and they were not expecting the Three Lions to reach the semi finals. Premier League execs voted to bring the season start forwards to allow for a winter break for the first time in January 2019.

Leicester City attacker James Maddison has said that he is honoured to make the England senior squad for the very first time. The 21-year-old has been a revelation for the Foxes since making the move from Norwich City during the summer and he is now looking forward to making an impact with the Three Lions without dropping out of the setup.

Speaking to reporters, he said: “I know I have been playing well for Leicester. I’ve played all the games in the Premier League this season and we’ve had a relatively good start but you can never expect it [England call up] I don’t think.

Burnley midfielder Jack Cork has backed Joe Hart to earn a recall with the England national side after impressing during the Premier League opener against Southampton. The former Manchester City man was brought into the squad after early season injuries to both Tom Heaton and Nick Pope and though the former has returned, Hart has now become the first-choice for Sean Dyche.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Cork has praised the impact of Hart since joining them from Manchester City during the summer. The midfielder added to suggest that the shot-stopper could reclaim a national team spot by keeping a consistent run of clean sheets for the Clarets, he said: “A lot of signings we do here have a point to prove and that is what keeps the squad hungry, keen to impress and prove people wrong. That is what drives the club.

England international Harry Kane is looking forward to participating for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League opener against Newcastle United. The 24-year-old has just returned after a stressful World Cup campaign but he does not seem to have plans for an extended rest with the curtain raiser against Newcastle United on his mind.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Kane revealed his ambition to represent Spurs during the opening game versus the Magpies. He added to speak about his goalless streak during the month of August and he is hopeful of changing the trend following his goalscoring exploits at the World Cup, he said: “I'll hopefully be back for the first game and hopefully I can try and score in August this year," he said with a smile.

Germany legend Michael Ballack has reserved praise for Harry Maguire following his strong performances for England at the heart of their defence. The Leicester City defender only made his Three Lions debut in October 2017 but he has since managed to secure a regular starting role, ousting the likes of Gary Cahill and Phil Jones to the bench.

Maguire most-recently netted the opener during the opener during England’s 2-0 win over Sweden and Ballack has now heaped praise on the centre-back for the aggressive nature of his play, he said: “I have to give a special mention to Harry Maguire. His excellent performances are another example of Gareth Southgate's positive coaching.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Kieran Trippier has credited Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate for making him a better player. The former Burnley man has built up a reputation during his three seasons with Tottenham Hotspur and he is now expected to be a regular for the Three Lions at the summer World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Trippier acknowledged the efforts of both Pochettino and Southgate in shaping up his career, he said: “Mauricio Pochettino has had a huge influence on my career, but Gareth has too. He has had a massive impact and helped me become a better player. Obviously I am very thankful to him for picking me in the first place. The way we work with England is similar to what I do at Tottenham, but Gareth wants me to be a bit more defensive.”
Trippier has generally played second fiddle to Kyle Walker for the right wing-back spot, but things have changed over the past month with Gareth Southgate deciding to play the latter as part of a central defensive three. As such, Trippier has got the opportunity to make his maiden start at a major competition and it will be interesting to see how he performs at the World Cup.