Gareth Southgate has left Trent Alexander-Arnold out of his England squad for Monday's Nations League dead rubber against Germany, citing a need to pick players he believes in.

England have already been relegated from League A after failing to win any of their five matches, which have also only yielded a single goal.

The Three Lions' form has been especially alarming given the World Cup starts in less than two months, with the Germany game essentially their final warm-up match.

With very little riding on the match at Wembley, it was assumed Southgate might take the chance to give opportunities to those who have been used sparingly.

But Southgate has instead given an indication as to who he does not appear to have complete faith in, with Alexander-Arnold – an unused substitute during Friday's defeat to Italy – among those left out.

Fikayo Tomori, James Ward-Prowse and Jarrod Bowen are reportedly the others set to miss out, while Jack Grealish is suspended.

This exclusion is just the latest blow for Alexander-Arnold at international level, with the right-back seemingly underused considering his importance for Liverpool.

"Of course, he does have a fantastic range of passing, we're blessed with different profiles of player in that position," Southgate told reporters when discussing Alexander-Arnold's irregularity for England.

"If we play with wing-backs, [Kieran] Trippier and Reece James are also exceptional with the ball, in different ways, and we're always having to look at the full package with everything and assess the players on all of their attributes.

"They've all been to Champions League finals, some of them have been to latter stages of major tournaments with us, Trent's won the league, Trippier's won the Spanish league, [Kyle] Walker's won the English league; there are so many good attributes about them.

"It's a really difficult position to make decisions on, but we have to go with the ones we believe [in], and ultimately I'll be judged on the outcome, as we know."

For Southgate, it is not simply a matter of putting Alexander-Arnold in the team and telling him to play his natural game; he operates in a certain way for Liverpool because Jurgen Klopp's system allows him to thrive, and England have not yet managed to find such a solution.

"You can have a style of play and a way of playing, and a balance to the team, that... at Liverpool they find a way of playing that brings the best out of his attributes," said Southgate.

"And that’s what we're all trying to do with every team, you're trying to build a team that accentuates the positives, and within the group protects yourselves against how the opponents might come from you."

Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf starred as Pakistan clinched a three-run victory over England to level their T20I series at 2-2 after a stunning match in Karachi.

Captain Babar Azam and Rizwan combined for an opening partnership of 97 as Pakistan posted 166-4, setting a target that England would have fancied chasing down.

Yet the visitors were unable to get there, despite a determined rally from Liam Dawson, leaving Pakistan to celebrate victory in what was their 200th T20I.

Rauf picked up three prized wickets, including that of Dawson, to take the player of the match award.

After both made just eight in the third match, Babar and Rizwan this time rekindled the form they showed in the second contest of this series when Pakistan swept to a 10-wicket win.

Babar made a handy 36 before being caught by Ben Duckett off Dawson's bowling, but Rizwan ploughed on to reach 88, eventually falling to Reece Topley in the final over.

Shan Masood made 21 and Asif Ali clattered two late sixes in 13no from three balls, as Pakistan pushed up their score.

The home team had work to do with the ball but came out firing, taking early wickets to dismiss Phil Salt (8), Alex Hales (5) and Will Jacks (0) in the first two overs of England's reply, as Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Hasnain made inroads.

England found batting rhythm through Duckett, striking three consecutive boundaries, although Nawaz put down a sitter to drop Harry Brook before he dismissed Duckett lbw for 33 in the eighth over.

Captain Moeen Ali made 29 and Brook fell for 34, before Dawson looked like winning it with a gallant effort for England. He reached 34 at breakneck speed, but a brilliant over from Rauf (3-32) halted the fightback as he had Dawson caught before bowling Olly Stone with the next delivery.

It meant England went from 162-7 to 162-9, and Masood ran out Topley in the final over to finish the contest, with three matches remaining in the series as the teams head for Lahore.

Rizwan and Babar set record

Pakistan's opening pair of Babar and Rizwan became the first batting duo to register 2,000 runs as partners in men's T20I cricket, coming into the day with 1,946 and smashing their way through the landmark figure.

The duo also equalled Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's record of 14 partnerships scoring above 50 in T20Is.

Dawson drives recovery

England looked to be down and out heading into the final few overs, but Dawson's blistering display with the bat took advantage of some lacklustre bowling to briefly change the tide of the game.

His runs came from just 17 balls and contained five fours and a six, providing a glimpse of a comeback, but he was unable to finish the job.

Jamal Musiala has no regrets and is "very happy" with his decision to represent Germany over England ahead of Monday's Nations League clash at Wembley.

Born in Stuttgart, Musiala spent a significant part of his childhood in England and was with Chelsea from 2011 until 2019, while he also captained the Three Lions at youth level.

However, he returned to Germany in 2019 to join Bayern Munich and elected to represent Hansi Flick's side last year.

Musiala will now face off against the side he could have represented on Monday and made it clear he has no regrets about the decision on his international allegiance.

"I feel good to be here in England. I am very motivated. England are a very strong team and my past makes me want to play even more," he said.

"I don't know exactly how many times I've played at Wembley. I've been to school tournaments here before and made it to a final there twice. The atmosphere at Wembley is always great.

"It wasn't an easy decision and I thought about it for a long time. In the end it was a decision I made with my family and I'm very happy with. Some England fans are definitely not happy with my decision but that shows that I play well."

Flick has confirmed Musiala will start for Germany in their Nations League dead rubber at Wembley and heaped praise upon the 19-year-old.

"When he trained for the first time, you immediately noticed what a talent he is. His development is fantastic," he declared.

"He can hold his own well in a small space and has a strong feeling for the space. He is also very strong at dribbling, which is why he can solve situations for us.

"In addition, he is very skilled defensively and has many ball wins. I'm glad he's playing for Germany."

Raheem Sterling says England have shown what Gareth Southgate brings to them and insists it is not "time to panic" following their UEFA Nations League relegation.

The Three Lions were condemned to bottom spot in Group A3 after a 1-0 loss to Italy on Friday, marking their fifth consecutive match without a win, their worst competitive run since 1992.

With the World Cup in Qatar looming, expectations for another successful tournament run following a semi-final appearance at Russia 2018 and finishing runners-up at Euro 2020 look to have plummeted for Southgate's side.

Despite his achievements, form under the 52-year-old has come under increasing criticism, but, speaking ahead of Monday's dead rubber with Germany, Sterling has defended his efforts and says he remains the right man.

"[We've made it to] a semi-final and a final," he stated. "We should be trying to put positive messages out there to try and spur the boys on again. With the performances, I get why we're not thinking like this at the minute.

"But I don't think it is time to panic. We've shown over the last couple of years what [Southgate] brings to this team. He's someone that all the boys trust and someone that we want to follow in his direction.

"I don't think these last games change that narrative. I think the narrative needs to be can we go that one step ahead and how we can do it - to try and build positives."

Sterling acknowledged performances have been below par as of late, with England struggling to find a satisfactory formation to prevent defensive fragilities, but remained adamant they can turn the corner.

"In football, there's ups and downs," he said. "I think over the last couple of years, we've been in good form. The game tomorrow is a great opportunity to go out there and take a step in the right direction."

England manager Gareth Southgate is adamant he is the right man to lead the team into the World Cup despite a woeful run of form.

Defeat to Italy on Friday condemned the Three Lions to relegation in the Nations League, extending the winless streak to five matches in the process.

Southgate was jeered by England's travelling supporters at San Siro but, despite being under the most pressure he has been in his six-year stint in charge, believes he remains the best choice to take the team to Qatar.

"Without a doubt. We're playing and have been playing some top-level sides and we will be better for that," he said.

"And the younger players, in particular, that have been in these games will have learned a lot from them.

"In the past we've had runs of friendlies or whatever the matches are and then we've gone into tournaments and that's the first time we've hit high-level opposition and it's hit us in the face quite often.

"Now we know the level, now we know what we've got to improve and we'll be better placed for that by having had the quality of matches that we've had."

Southgate's views were echoed by England captain Harry Kane, who is confident the Three Lions will be back to their best in time for the start of the tournament in November.

"I believe we are going to be judged on how we perform out in Qatar. We're just in one of those moments where it's not quite going our way. We're confident we can turn that around," he stated.

"We have one more game on Monday to try to get some good feelings back. Ultimately, once we get to the World Cup, we will be ready for that first game and be fully focused on that.

"I don't think our confidence has been dented, but you want to win games. We are all experienced enough, with our clubs especially we have been through those moments when things haven't been going so well. It's about bouncing back."

Roberto Mancini praised Italy's new generation following a 1-0 victory over England in the Nations League.

Giacomo Raspadori's strike at San Siro condemned the Three Lions to relegation to League B, while Italy will face off against Hungary on Monday to decide who will advance to the Nations League finals.

Having failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, Mancini has looked to younger players for the future as the likes of 22-year-old Raspadori have made an impression for the European champions and hailed the displays of his young guns.

"We rebooted in June and were always in the running in this Nations League group. Clearly, we need these games, these wins, so we can grow," he said.

"I expected a good performance and knew it would be difficult, because many of tonight's lads are inexperienced at this level, with not even 30 per cent of England's caps, but I think we won deservedly."

Mancini was then asked why Italy are seemingly more effective when under pressure than in games where they are clear favourites but disagreed that this was the case.

"I don't think we threw anything away, football has an element of luck to it. We won the Euros on penalties, we deserved to win it, then failed to qualify for the World Cup after two games we dominated and did not win against Switzerland," he explained.

"We made mistakes too, that is obvious. I don't know if today was our best performance of the Nations League, we did well against Hungary and Germany too."

As for England, Mancini remains confident that Gareth Southgate's side can be contenders at the World Cup in Qatar and played down the significance of relegation from the Nations League.

"It's always satisfying to beat England, but especially after the difficult time we've had recently, it takes a little pressure off and that is important," he added.

"In my opinion, England are one of the best teams in the world and will have a good chance at the tournament. I don't think they will care too much about the relegation."

England manager Gareth Southgate insisted there were "a lot of positives" in the Three Lions' 1-0 defeat to Italy on Friday.

Giacomo Raspadori struck the only goal of the game to condemn England to equal their worst winless streak since 2014, and also resulted in relegation to League B of the Nations League.

It marked another game without a goal for England, who are now 495 minutes without scoring from open play, and have just 90 minutes of football against Germany on Monday before the World Cup.

However, despite receiving boos from the travelling supporters at San Siro, Southgate remains positive and suggested England were the better team.

"It's difficult for me to be too critical of the performance. We had more possession, more shots, more shots on target," he said.

"For large parts of the game we played very well. We didn't deal with the decisive moment defensively. We had moments where we had the chance to be decisive in their final third, [but] our quality wasn't quite right.

England midfielder Declan Rice has called for calm after defeat to Italy extended the Three Lions' winless streak to five games.

Giacomo Raspadori's strike at San Siro condemned Gareth Southgate's side to relegation to League B in the Nations League and marked England's longest run without a win in competitive matches since October 1992.

With just 90 minutes of football and 56 days until the World Cup campaign in Qatar begins against Iran, concern is rising, but Rice has promised there will be improvements.

"It's obviously disappointing. Every tournament we go into, we set out to win," he told Channel 4 after the loss.

"In the Nations League we have slipped below our standards, but I didn't think it was all bad tonight.

"It's coming. It was a much better performance tonight than we saw in the summer.

"It's not that we're not creating the chances. I see it in training. There are goals for fun. Trust me, we are going to be good."

England's drop in form has come alongside a barren run in front of goal, having gone 495 minutes without a goal in open play – the last being Raheem Sterling's strike in a friendly against the Ivory Coast in March.

Southgate's side face Germany at Wembley on Monday to bring an end to a disappointing Nations League campaign, before the countdown to the World Cup truly begins.

England suffered relegation to League B in the Nations League after a 1-0 defeat to Italy at San Siro, a result which also equalled their worst run of form in eight years.

Giacomo Raspadori curled home the only meaningful attempt of the game for the hosts, capitalising on sloppy defending from Kyle Walker, who provided too much space for the Napoli man.

Italy's win was only their third in 10 matches, though the performance did little to ease concerns around Roberto Mancini's side.

It is England who face more immediate problems, though, with just 90 minutes of football left before the World Cup begins, and Gareth Southgate's men looked far from ready here.

A lacklustre first half saw both sides crippled by an inability to create any sort of threat in the final third, with neither Nick Pope nor Gianluigi Donnarumma called into action as play was limited to scrappy exchanges in midfield.

The early exchanges of the second half did not change much but Italy took the lead with their first meaningful chance of note, Raspadori collecting Leonardo Bonucci's long pump forward and given time to turn, before curling into the far corner beyond Pope's reach.

England's introduction of Jack Grealish and Luke Shaw after conceding, which finally gave the Three Lions a natural left-sided defender having started Bukayo Saka out of position, did not change the pattern of the game.

Harry Kane saw two shots saved by Donnarumma, though neither was particularly threatening, with Italy looking the more likely to extend their lead as Federico Dimarco struck the frame of the goal.

Jude Bellingham headed a late chance over the bar deep into stoppage time as England's fate was sealed on the final whistle.

What does it mean? World Cup worries for England

The mid-season fall of the World Cup in Qatar means no pre-tournament friendlies for the teams competing, giving England just 90 minutes of football before the opening group game against Iran, who beat Uruguay 1-0 earlier on Friday in a friendly.

Now five games without a win and 495 minutes without a goal from open play, Southgate is under intense scrutiny and his team selection continues to baffle – Saka starting at left wing-back, far from his natural position on the right wing.

While a lack of goals will always be concerning, the inability to even create opportunities despite an array of attacking options is a problem without an easy fix.

Raspadori's return

Raspadori's winning strike against England was his fourth in an Italy shirt since making his debut in June 2021, level with Nicolo Barella and with no player within Roberto Mancini's squad having scored more.

Italy's absence from the World Cup remains a bitter pill to swallow but Raspadori is already showing he can be a key player in the defence of the European Championship title in 2024.

Southgate's sorrows compounded

England's woes against Italy in front of goal were not a new occasion, the Three Lions having failed to score from open play in five games in the Nations League, having only scored from the penalty spot – an unwanted record they share with minnows San Marino.

With just 56 days before the World Cup, Southgate received boos from the travelling contingent at San Siro and requires a massive upturn in form if England are to equal their exploits in last year's European Championship.

What's next?

England's Nations League campaign comes to a close against Germany at Wembley on Monday, where Italy will face Hungary to decide the group winner.

England suffered relegation to League B in the Nations League after a 1-0 defeat to Italy, a result which also equalled their worst run of form in eight years.

Giacomo Raspadori curled home the only meaningful attempt of the game for the hosts, capitalising on sloppy defending from Kyle Walker, who provided too much space for the Napoli man.

Italy's win was only their third in 10 matches and the performance did little to ease concerns around Roberto Mancini's side.

It is England who face more immediate problems, though, with just 90 minutes of football left before the World Cup begins, and Gareth Southgate's men looked far from ready here.

A lacklustre first half saw both sides crippled by an inability to create any sort of threat in the final third, with neither Nick Pope nor Gianluigi Donnarumma called into action as play was limited to scrappy exchanges in midfield.

The early exchanges of the second half did not change much but Italy took the lead with their first meaningful chance of note, Raspadori collecting Leonardo Bonucci's long pump forward and given time to turn, before curling into the far corner beyond Pope's reach.

England's introduction of Jack Grealish and Luke Shaw after conceding, which finally gave the Three Lions a natural left-sided defender having started Bukayo Saka out of position, did not change the pattern of the game.

Harry Kane saw two shots saved by Donnarumma, though neither was particularly threatening, with Italy looking the more likely to extend their lead as Federico Dimarco struck the frame of the goal.

Jude Bellingham headed a late chance over the bar deep into stoppage time as England's fate was sealed on the final whistle.

Mark Wood made an explosive return after maiden Twenty20 International half-centuries for Harry Brook and Ben Duckett as England thrashed Pakistan by 63 runs to take a 2-1 series lead.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan starred in a record-breaking 10-wicket win for Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday, but the tourists responded in emphatic fashion at the same venue 24 hours later.

Brook (81 not out off 35 balls) and Duckett (70no from 42) put on 139 in a sublime unbroken fourth-wicket stand to get England up to an imposing 221-3.

Pakistan fell short on 158-8, Wood taking 3-25 in his first match for six months following two elbow operations, with a first T20I half-century for Shan Masood (66no from 40) in vain.

Will Jacks, in for Alex Hales, struck an impressive 40 off 22 balls after Babar put England in, before Usman Qadir (2-48) got rid of the debutant and Dawid Malan (14). 

England were 82-3 when Jacks departed, but Duckett and Brook combined for a match-winning stand to silence the crowd a day after Babar and Rizwan put on a show.

The right and left-hand combination showed the tourists' strength in depth with the bat as the Pakistan bowlers were unable to contain them.

Babar and Rizwan could not repeat their heroics from the previous day, when they put on 203, the hostile Wood dismissing the captain for eight and Haider Ali for just three.

Reece Topley cleaned up Rizwan in a nightmare start to Pakistan's run chase and Adil Rashid took 2-32 as Babar's side never looked like chasing down their target despite the best efforts of Masood.

Brook and Duckett come to the fore

Big things are expected of Brook, who made his Test debut against South Africa at The Oval this month, and the 23-year-old showed precisely why as he made a brilliant maiden half-century for his country.

He struck five sixes and eight fours, timing the ball sweetly as he piled on the runs on both sides of the wicket and facing only 24 balls for his fifty.

Duckett played the spinners superbly, sweeping with authority to bring up his half-century from just 31 balls.

Wood back with a bang

The luckless Wood had been out since March due to more injury woes, but generated blistering pace and looked like he had never been away.

Wood claimed the huge wicket of Babar, caught on the boundary by Topley from a searing delivery, and saw the back of Haider in a breathtaking opening burst, then returning to remove Haris Rauf in the penultimate over.

Ciro Immobile joined Italy's injury list ahead of Friday's Nations League encounter with England.

The Lazio striker has suffered a muscle injury and was not included in the Azzurri's squad list for the game at San Siro.

Midfielder Sandro Tonali left the European champions' training camp on the day of the match as he has not recovered from an injury.

Coach Roberto Mancini will also be without the likes of Marco Verratti, Matteo Politano, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Davide Calabria.

Italy will remain in contention for the Nations League Finals if they come out on top in a repeat of last year's Euro 2020 final.

England, bottom of Group 3, will be relegated from League A if they are beaten in Milan.

Gareth Southgate insists England "need commitment from everyone" ahead of their crucial Nations League Group A3 clash with Italy.

The Three Lions are on the brink of relegation from League A, having collected just two points from their opening four games, suffering a humbling 4-0 defeat to Hungary last time out.

England would drop into League B if they fail to win at San Siro, where Southgate says it will be a "great honour" for his squad to play as they look to build momentum ahead of the World Cup.

"This is a very important tournament, and we have already faced two very strong teams," he said. "We have already played against Italy, we know how formidable the players are.

"We need to improve after the latest results and in view of the World Cup, doing it here at San Siro - in an iconic stadium - will be a great honour.

"We analysed everything and tried to understand why there were these bad results after 22 games without a defeat. We need commitment from everyone, and we are focusing on this; we are making sure that the team can train in the best possible way."

Southgate, who revealed Jordan Henderson would be available to face the reigning European champions, also underlined his stance on the OneLove initiative.

Qatar has faced external criticism for its treatment of migrant workers, as well as its record on women's rights and treatment of LGBTQ people.

Human rights campaigner Amnesty International has called for migrant workers to be compensated for "suffering endured" in Qatar during preparations for the World Cup, calling for FIFA to support a 'remediation programme' and warning of the prospect of the tournament being "indelibly tainted by human rights abuses".

Southgate said: "I have observed and studied this situation closely. I have documented myself with experts who deal with this and the FA has also done a lot.

"Some demands have been made, there are already some hypotheses on the table and there is already an agreement with seven European nations to maintain this debate.

"I know that there is a need to talk about these issues, after all we hope for a change in that country even if everything is not under our control.

"We will not be able to do everything we want, there are limits, but talking is important. The criticisms are there, we must accept them, but we are doing our best."

Roberto Mancini believes reaching the Nations League Finals could help to ease the "suffering" coming Italy's way when the World Cup begins.

Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in succession, with their disappointment magnified this time after they won the delayed Euro 2020 in July 2021 but then flopped in the final stages of Qatar 2022 qualifying.

On Friday, the Azzurri tackle England in Milan, a repeat meeting of the European final that Italy won on penalties at Wembley.

The teams have met since that occasion, slogging out a goalless draw at Molineux in June in their initial Nations League clash.

Mancini is hoping this latest reunion stirs something in his players that carries them to victory, given they have ground to make up on Hungary and Germany in Group A3, where England sit surprisingly bottom after four games. The Finals will be contested next June.

“There is enthusiasm for such a beautiful match and something that gives us a reminder," Mancini said. "I think winning the European Championship after 50 years was quite important.

"Getting to the Finals would give us joy, since from mid-November to mid-December there will be suffering.

"Tomorrow we have a very tough match against one of the best teams in the world, full of talents. We will need that team spirit that has always distinguished us. And then we will have to try to play well. Playing in a simple way is always the best thing."

Italy are without the injured Marco Verratti, Sandro Tonali, Matteo Politano and Lorenzo Pellegrini, but even with his midfield resources stretched, Mancini seemingly ruled out a change of system.

"If changing the game system ensured victory, then we would always change it. I don't think it changes much," he said. "Our national team has an identity that is what has led us to do well for a long time."

The game will see Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci line up against England once more, having scored the equaliser that preceded Italy's penalty shoot-out success at Wembley in last year's Euros.

Excluding penalty shoot-outs, England have only lost two of their past 26 matches, both against Hungary in June 2022 (W18 D6). The Three Lions are winless in four matches, however (D2 L2), last having a longer winless run in June 2014 (five matches), with one of those games being a 2-1 defeat to Italy at the World Cup.

Bonucci is hoping Italy can harness memories of Wembley to boost their prospects at San Siro.

The Italians need a pick-me-up after conceding 13 goals in their previous seven matches, including a 5-2 mauling by Germany last time out, the first time the Azzurri had shipped five in a game since a 1957 game against Yugoslavia. Italy had conceded only 15 goals in their previous 40 games before the recent sharp decline.

Bonucci said: “We must not forget the beautiful emotions we experienced. I believe that this national team does not lack enthusiasm, even if it must be amplified with victories.

"Tomorrow is an important match to understand where we are on this new path. There is no better match than this to build something important."

England captain Harry Kane hopes to spread a "broader message" to make a "step forward" at the Qatar World Cup, where the striker and nine other skippers will wear anti-discrimination armbands.

The Three Lions forward has joined with captains from the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales as part of the OneLove initiative.

As England prepare to face Italy and Germany in the Nations League, Kane's decision to promote the movement to empower inclusion and diversity was the main talking point.

A distinctive heart-adorned armband will show England's stand against discriminatory practice in Qatar, where same-sex relationships and promotion of same-sex relationships are criminalised. 

"I talked to some captains on the human rights issue in Qatar, surely if we act together we can bring a broader message," Kane told reporters.

"The players can do a lot given the importance of the World Cup, we hope to make a step forward on this front."

England cannot reach the Nations League finals after disappointing in Group C1, with Gareth Southgate's side having gone winless in their first four games.

Defeat to Italy, who played out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture at Molineux, would condemn England to relegation on Friday and Kane knows it is vital his side must return to winning ways.

"Certainly determination characterises us, we have to get back to playing well," he added. "For four years we have been formidable and we know that the last few matches in June were not positive, but we are preparing to better manage the two months remaining until the World Cup.

"Tomorrow's match will not be easy at all, but we want to win this race to also improve for the World Cup."

Italy will not feature at the World Cup in November after missing out on a second straight edition of the global competition following play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

With Germany to follow for England after their clash in Milan, Kane insists the challenges against Roberto Mancini's side and Hansi Flick's team will provide a marker for the upcoming World Cup.

"We played against the best teams and tomorrow we will play again against one of them," he continued.

"Tomorrow's match will be very useful for the World Cup, we must try to impose our game and it will help us to practice at our best.

"We talked within the team about this possible relegation, but there are still two games. Relegation is possible, but it must not affect the determination with which we will take the field."