Roma director hits out at Gareth Southgate over Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling’s World Cup snubs

Roma director Tiago Pinto has hit out at ’s reasoning for not taking and Chris Smalling to the with England.

Abraham was competing for one of the spots up front as back-up to , while Smalling seemed a more unlikely option at centre-back, although with England’s defenders struggling for form he would have fancied his chances.

On Abraham’s omission, Southgate said it was down to his recent poor goal-scoring form, which has seen him score just three goals in 15 Serie A appearances so far this season.

‘Tammy’s had a poor run of scoring form at the wrong time, really, and it’s not a case of that we are three or four weeks away from a finals and the start of the first match,’ said the England boss.

‘We are now 10 days away so form could be more important. We are watching their club form, but we don’t really know where the players are until we see them face-to-face and until we see them on the training pitch.’

The Roma chief is not impressed though, questioning the decision making and suggesting his English pair should be on their way to Qatar.

‘I cannot accept, both Roma and the representatives of other clubs, that people try to justify international call-ups with what is happening at club level,’ Pinto told DAZN.

‘If Tammy is not part of the England squad because he didn’t score over the last month, for example, but they called up a player who was on the bench for his club yesterday, then in that case Smalling ought to be a starter for England.

‘I want to say we are satisfied with Tammy, but always with the perspective that he can still improve, and I am sure he will do.

‘We’re pleased to see our players go to the World Cup, because it is important for them, but I cannot accept that after a call-up there is talk about the way these lads work at Roma as justification for a personal choice.’

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