England manager Gareth Southgate has assured Harry Maguire that his place on the National team isn't under any threat following lack of game time for the defender at club level.

Maguire started the first two Premier League games of the season for Manchester United but was subsequently dropped and replaced by Rafael Varane in the starting lineup after the 4-0 loss to Brentford. Maguire’s performances in both games weren't the greatest and he was dropped from the starting lineup as new manager Erik ten Hag searched for solutions.

United have won the next four games and kept three clean sheets with Rafael Varane and Lisandro Martinez the preferred central defensive partnership.

The form of those two defenders may mean that Maguire doesn't feature as often as he should and this situation may hurt his World Cup chances but Gareth Southgate has contacted the defender to let him know that his place on the England team is still safe and not under threat, according to The Sun.

The reports suggest that the 29-year-old is still seen as a key part of his England plans because of how much of a consistent performer he has been in his 46 previous games for the National team and there is a place for Maguire on the World Cup team as a result.

Gareth Southgate had backed Maguire back in March when he selected the defender for the England team:

“We need the best players possible. Maguire was very good in the Autumn and he helped get us to a World Cup semifinal and a Euro final.

“He’s more than capable of playing for us at the highest level.“

United will play in the Europa League on Thursday against Real Sociedad to begin a hectic schedule where they play every a game every three to four days and Erik ten Hag will be expected to rotate his squad heavily throughout this run starting Thursday.

Maguire would expect to start again she Spanish club and put on a strong performance in a bid to gain his manager’s trust and make his way back into the starting lineup for Premier League games.

England’s fixture schedule

England will play the final UEFA Nations League games against Italy in Milan on September 23 and Germany on September 26th at the Wembley stadium. Maguire will expect to be in those squads and play for the national team as they continue to build to the World Cup in Qatar. Their first World Cup match will be against Iran on November 21.

Maguire had an excellent 2020/2021 season with Manchester United as well as a fantastic campaign with England at the European Championships the following summer as he played a key role for the Three Lions who reached the final of the tournament. He was also named in the UEFA team of the tournament and in that period was seen as one of the best central defenders on the continent.

The following season at United saw his form take a nosedive as the club suffered through a disastrous season where they finished sixth in the league.