Gareth Southgate defends Luke Shaw and Smalling

England interim boss Gareth Southgate has
defended Manchester United's Chris Smalling
and Luke Shaw after criticism from their club
manager, Jose Mourinho.


The United boss questioned the pair for missing
Sunday's 3-1 Premier League win at Swansea,
saying: "For the team, you have to do anything."
Smalling has a foot injury, while Shaw played in
United's Europa League defeat by Fenerbahce
on Thursday.

Southgate said there was "obviously something
wrong" with both players.

Central defender Smalling, 26, and left-back
Shaw, 21, have been left out of the England
squad for Friday's 2018 World Cup qualifier
against Scotland and next week's friendly
against Spain.

Shaw has played six league games this season
since returning from a double leg break last
September.

Asked by media if the two players were "flaky"
characters, Southgate replied: "That wouldn't be
my impression.

"Luke I know well and Luke's had a really tough
injury. I think very often it's easy to look from
the outside or to make judgements on people
without knowing them really, really well."

Shaw and Smalling have played with pain-killing
injections this season and there are reports that
former Southampton full-back Shaw is "baffled"
by Mourinho's criticism.

Before the Swansea game, the Manchester
United manager said: "Smalling doesn't feel
that he can play 100% with his pain. Shaw told
me this morning that he was not able to play.

"There is a difference between the brave, who
want to play at any cost, and the ones for
whom a little pain can make a difference."






Source : BBC sports