England boss Gareth Southgate has told Gary Cahill that he needs to be playing in order to secure a spot in the Three Lions squad for the 2018 World Cup.
The Chelsea captain was a notable absentee when Southgate named his 27-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies against Netherlands and Italy before the end of the month.
Cahill has struggled to earn a regular spot in the Chelsea team in recent weeks, and Southgate has conceded that he will find it difficult to pick the 32-year-old if he is not playing on a consistent basis at club level.
"I was really pleased with how we defended during the games in November. On top of that I've got other players like [James] Tarkowski and [Alfie] Mawson I want to have a look at, not just for now but perhaps beyond that, too," Southgate told reporters.
"We've also got Eric Dier, who can play at the back. I don't want to call up a senior player who isn't playing for his club. Gary can still make the World Cup if he is playing."
Cahill has scored four times in 58 appearances for England.
Matt Law
