Gareth Southgate ignores Russia tensions for England’s World Cup bid

• England manager preparing as normal for tournament
• Uncapped Pope, Tarkowski, Mawson and Cook called up

Gareth Southgate has responded bullishly to questions about England’s safety at the World Cup in Russia by saying “you can live in fear or you can get on with things”. The manager intends to discuss the situation with his squad after they gather on Sunday and said he would not want players to make individual choices regarding whether to travel.

There is heightened tension between the UK and Russia following the nerve agent attack on the former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. The Foreign Office has warned of “the possibility of anti-British sentiment or harassment”.

Continue reading...

from The Guardian http://ift.tt/2tOUcS9