Rashford and Sterling must join the England party

This match is set to be among the toughest England manager Gareth Southgate has had to deal with during his short time at the helm of the national side. 

Under new manager Luis Enrique, the Spanish have the ability to either pass their opponents into submission or take a more direct approach, outmatching opponents to achieve victory. 

England struggled to cope with Spain's versatility in the reverse fixture at Wembley; losing the match 2-1, and the next clash in Seville on Monday will be no different.

Spain are brimming with confidence after scoring 12 goals in Enrique's first three games in charge, the most recent being a 4-1 thrashing of Wales in Cardiff this past Wednesday. 

 

October 12, 2018

And so it is crucial that England become clinical in the coming matches, as not to risk dropping into the second-string grouping of the UEFA Nations League.

The two players who have been under the most pressure from fans for a lack of coolness in front of goal are Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling.

Both players have been guilty of missing clear cut chances in recent games; Rashford spurned a golden opportunity in Croatia that should have given the 'Three Lions' the spoils in their eerie behind-closed doors fixture last week. Meanwhile Sterling faced calls to be dropped from the starting XI before nearly every game during the World Cup in the summer, after appearing flustered on numerous occasions in front of goal. 

 

October 12, 2018

Surely the two men will have to step up their finishing in order to keep featuring for Southgate's side, especially in light of the emergence of a few promising youngsters that are keen to make the step up to the senior side. Jadon Sancho was the latest young gun to make his debut for England in the score draw against Croatia, replacing Raheem Sterling as a second half substitute. Furthermore, Sancho's excellent form for Borussia Dortmund this season, it would be surprising if he does not begin to start games for the 'Three Lions' if both Rashford and Sterling fail to improve. 

And so time is rapidly running out for Rashford and Sterling, who could allay calls for their removal from the team, if either puts Spain to the sword in the side's upcoming UEFA Nations League clash on Monday.