England manager Gareth Southgate has deployed assistant manager Steve Holland to scout Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish v Rotherham on Tuesday night, according to The Times.
The newspaper report that Southgate has rejected the chance to watch England regulars in action in the Champions League to run the rule over two Championship fixtures.
The Times claim that Southgate himself will attend Derby County’s clash with Blackburn Rovers at Pride Park, with Holland keeping an eye on Grealish at Villa Park.
The big-name boss has spoken in recent weeks about picking players from the Championship, with the England squad not necessarily strong enough to limit his selection to the Premier League.
OPINION
This is a big chance for Grealish to press a claim for an England squad spot in their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches in the coming months. Southgate has regularly spoken of the need to cast his net wider in looking for England players, and he is backing up those words with action on Tuesday night. The fact that he has rejected the chance to watch players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez come up against PSG to watch Derby and Villa is a big statement, and one that will give confidence to players like Grealish who are in with a real chance of England selection. Grealish himself has not been in the best form so far this season, particularly over the weekend against Blackburn, but his capabilities are clear and Holland will be on the lookout for a solid performance from him tonight. Rotherham will not be an easy game for Villa, who have had a mediocre start to the season, but it is a game which Grealish could well dominate and push forward his England claims in the process.