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Rob Page says Wales are not entertaining any play-off talk with their full focus on beating Turkey and qualifying automatically for Euro 2024. Wales must overcome Turkey in their final qualifier on Tuesday and hope Croatia do not beat Armenia in order to secure a top-two spot in Group D. The Dragons are guaranteed a play-off place in March but it is not a route Wales want to tread, with Page and Ian Mitchell, head of performance psychology, addressing the topic with the players ahead of the sell-out Cardiff City Stadium clash. Page said: “We’re having no talk of play-offs. If we’re talking play-offs, we may as well call the game off on Tuesday. That’s our mentality and attitude. “We’re fully focused on the job we’ve got and we don’t want any regrets when that final whistle goes. “We were aware that (play-offs) would be the talking point because of the disappointment of the Armenia game. “I addressed that at a meeting with the players and I got Mitch to speak about it as well. “We’re not admitting defeat and thinking ‘why not?’ because potentially we can qualify if the other result goes our way. “What I don’t want to do is walk off at the end of the game, the result’s gone for us, and we could have taken charge of it.” Wales had automatic qualification in their own hands before Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Armenia when Page’s side were perhaps fortunate to return home with a point. Croatia took advantage by winning 2-0 in Latvia to move into second spot behind already-qualified Turkey. Page suggested that he would be kept informed of events in the Croatia game in Zagreb on Tuesday as Wales seek to bounce back from their disappointing weekend performance. Luton defender Tom Lockyer is expected to replace the suspended Chris Mepham and make his first competitive appearance since September 2021. Brennan Johnson and Daniel James could also return to sharpen up the attack against opponents who beat Wales 2-0 in June and warmed up for their trip to Cardiff by beating Germany 3-2 in a Berlin friendly on Saturday. Page said: “What we do need, from minute one, is energy. “Off the back of (Turkey’s) result against Germany and the threat they pose, we have to have energy in that team. “This is the first time in a while that we’ve had two competitive games in quick succession. “We’re not blessed with a pool of players coming in that are not playing too much domestically. “There potentially could be changes, or at least coming off the bench and having an impact.” Wales are attempting to make a fourth major tournament in five and qualified for the last two – Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup – on emotion-charged nights at the Cardiff City Stadium. Skipper Ben Davies said: “We’ve put in some amazing performances in Cardiff over the years, and we’ve had some special nights there. “We’re not panicking as a group, we still have a chance. Our job is pretty simple, we have to win our game. “Playing in major tournaments for your country is the pinnacle and that dream is still there.” Read More Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered On this day in 2015: Eddie Jones appointed England’s first overseas head coach

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Barcelona midfielder Gavi has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the club have confirmed. The 19-year-old suffered the injury playing for Spain in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia on Sunday, limping off the pitch in the opening 25 minutes. Barca said in a statement that tests carried out on Monday morning have shown he has “a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus”. He will undergo surgery in the coming days. The extent of the injury is a big blow for Barcelona, who are currently third in LaLiga, with Gavi having established himself as a key player in their squad since making his debut at 17 years old in August 2021, making 111 appearances already. He won the league title with Barca last season and has played 15 times for them this term. Spain went on to win the match against Georgia 3-1 and Barcelona team-mate Ferran Torres celebrated his second-half goal by holding Gavi’s shirt up. Speaking after the match, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente described the win as “bittersweet”. He said: “It’s one of the most bittersweet victories I’ve ever had. As far as I can remember, it’s the hardest, the bitterest of moments, to see an important player like Gavi sustain an injury like that. “It’s a very difficult moment for the player, for his club, for the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation), for the national team and for all his team-mates. In the dressing room it felt like we had lost. This is the ugly side of football. “Football is a risky activity occasionally, something we often forget to appreciate. It was an unfortunate incident, but Gavi was perfectly fit to play the game and it was just unlucky, really, really unlucky.” Read More Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered

It has been a fun season for Monday Night Football and Week 11's showdown can easily be hyped as the game of the year.

Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have welcomed the decision for the club to take over the Racecourse Ground lease and allow them to push ahead with stadium development. The lease is currently held by Wrexham Supporters Trust, who wanted a binding covenant that the Hollywood-owned League Two club could not be moved away from the ground. WST members have now agreed to surrender the Racecourse lease under the terms of a deal that will see Wrexham continue to play at the ground until at least June 30, 2115. Wrexham will also make a payment of £187,000 upon surrender of the lease. Co-chairmen McElhenney and Reynolds said: “We were delighted to receive the support of the directors of the WST and share their understandable desire to protect the long-term future of the club. “Our legacy at the club will not be defined while we are its custodians, so we wanted to address the anomaly in the WST lease for the Racecourse Ground that did not include the requirement for the team to actually play at the stadium, only not allow it to be used for any other purpose. “We didn’t want anyone in the future to be able to exploit that position. “The payment of £187,000, is an equivalent amount to that contributed by fans to save the club. “To know that we will provide the funding to effectively pay everyone back who contributed to save the club is worth every penny and gives us a great deal of satisfaction. “We would appeal to the 824 members who have a vote, to do so in favour of the proposal and allow the club to continue on this wonderful journey we are all on.” Wrexham plan to redevelop the Kop stand – the site currently stands empty – and boost capacity to around 15,600. It had been hoped to be built in time for the start of the 2024-25 season, but funding issues have meant the project will be delayed. Wrexham expect the stadium development will see the men’s national team to play at the Racecourse – the world’s oldest international football stadium that still hosts matches, having staged its first Wales home game in 1877 – more often. Wales visited Wrexham last month – a friendly against Gibraltar – for only the second time since 2009. A Wrexham statement read: “The club were delighted to be informed that the Directors of the Wrexham Football Supporter’s Society Limited (‘WST’) would be recommending to their membership that they should accept our proposal to surrender the lease for The Racecourse Ground. “The surrender of the lease is required by the club to enable the funding for the Kop Development/UEFA Stadium Category 4 status to be secured. “The negotiations between the club and those representing the WST have been undertaken against the backdrop of wanting to ensure that everyone’s interests were protected. We believe that we have achieved this objective. “As part of the deal, the club will make a payment of £187,000 upon surrender of the lease, a payment of £1,000 per annum (increasing by 3% per annum) and meet the legal costs of the WST connected with the surrender of the lease. “The most significant non-financial commitment made by the club was the positive commitment that the men’s first team will continue to play at the Racecourse Ground until at least June 30, 2115.” The news comes after Wrexham’s 2-0 defeat at Accrington and the club’s continued war of words with Stanley chairman Andy Holt. Wrexham condemned Accrington’s decision to increase matchday ticket prices by £5 for Saturday’s league game. Holt took a swipe at Wrexham and their successful docu-series on social media after the game, saying: “Accrington 2 Hollywood nil. I think @VancityReynolds should cut prices by a tenner @ Wrexham_AFC. “Safe journey home folks. Get that on @netflix Ryan lad.” Read More Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered On this day in 2015: Eddie Jones appointed England’s first overseas head coach The sporting weekend in pictures Steve Clarke happy to toast Scotland fans after ‘strange’ draw with Norway Gareth Southgate targeting top of the world as England drive for Euros glory

Week 11 was a brutal one for injuries on the fantasy football front, but these five breakout stars are here to help ahead of Week 12.

Steve Clarke savoured the chance to celebrate Scotland’s Euro 2024 qualification with the Hampden crowd after his side rounded off their campaign with a “strange” 3-3 draw against Norway. Scotland had qualified with two games to spare and finished second behind Spain in Group A after a second consecutive draw ensured they have only lost once in the section. The players, including injured captain Andy Robertson, did a lap of honour afterwards to mark their achievement. Clarke said: “It was nice – and nice for the supporters – to say thank you to the team, a nice night for the team and staff to thank the supporters. “It’s always nice to qualify for a major tournament. Obviously the last one was Covid-restricted so we missed that connection and that feel with the fans. “It’s great for everyone in the country that we have something to look forward to next summer.” Clarke’s side twice came from behind in the first half through John McGinn’s penalty and an own goal before Stuart Armstrong netted a well-worked goal to out them in front just before the hour mark. However, former Celtic winger Mohamed Elyounoussi came off the bench to head home in the 86th minute as Norway scored their third goal from a cross originating from right-back Julian Ryerson. “It was a strange game,” Clarke said. “I need to go away and analyse it. “What we have worked really hard at is being competitive, being a competitive team every time we go on to the pitch. “That’s why I was a little bit disappointed with the first half, I didn’t think we were competitive enough. Much more competitive second half. “We are Scotland, we have a certain way of playing, we like to play on the front foot.” A two-goal win would have put Scotland in pot two for the December 2 draw, although they are arguably better off in pot three given they will now avoid the likes of the Netherlands, Italy and Croatia. “I’m not bothered,” Clarke said. “I don’t know even know who else is in pot three and pot two. I’m sure I will find out when I get to Hamburg.” Norway head coach Stale Solbakken felt his side should have been ahead at half-time but feels Scotland will pose problems in Germany. “Overall we were the better team and should have won but it’s not easy, Scotland are always very well organised,” he added. “They have a great coach and have very disciplined players who know their strengths and limitations. That’s very important – they play to their strengths and don’t pretend to be something else. “They also have tournament experience so I think they can be a handful for everyone next summer. They also play two systems which is valuable. “There will be no easy games for those teams who meet Scotland.” Read More Gareth Southgate targeting top of the world as England drive for Euros glory Rico Lewis hopes his versatility helps him make late push for Euro 2024 squad Declan Rice putting pressure of price tag behind him to pursue biggest prizes Trevor Lawrence leads Jacksonville Jaguars to victory against Tennessee Titans Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Ludvig Aberg keen to ‘love golf for long time’ after clinching RSM Classic title

Declan Rice went to the World Cup surrounded by England team-mates who had won the biggest prizes in the game – now he is a £105million player who insists he is not fazed by the price tag having lifted European silverware and instantly taken to Champions League football. The 24-year-old admitted a year ago in Qatar that he wanted to play at the highest level and left West Ham in the summer after captaining them to Europa Conference League glory. Rice moved across London to Arsenal, joining the Gunners for a club-record fee and has hit the ground running with a run of fine performances for Mikel Arteta’s side. While previous big-money signings have seemingly been weighed down by hefty price tags, Rice has flourished in spite of it. “When the transfer was going through I was very nervous because of the price tag,” he said. “It’s natural to think about that. You’re a human being bought for £105m, it doesn’t feel very normal. But that was because of what I’d done at West Ham, what they valued me at. “When I signed for Arsenal, I just thought I just need to be Declan Rice, be myself, don’t be any different, everything will go smoothly. You’re a human being bought for £105million, it doesn’t feel very normal Declan Rice “The first three weeks of pre-season were really tough in terms of the change. When you’re at a new job you start to feel really settled after a few weeks. “That really feels the case now. In terms of the price tag, I don’t really think about it, I just play the games and try to play as well as possible. “Honestly, I just try to play my football. I don’t let it affect me in any way, shape or form. I just go to training, try to train as well as possible.” Rice’s England colleague Jack Grealish admitted he found talk of his £100m move to Manchester City “annoying” and that more was expected of him as a result of the big fee. “It’s £100m, it’s a lot of money, I could understand the pressure that comes with it,” added Rice. “Not only the pressure you put on yourself but there’s an expectation of being bought for that much money we need to see performances straight away. “I want to repay the club back straight away, they have invested a lot of money in me, I need to prove why I can go there and change things. “I can see why Jack struggled maybe at the start – mentally. He was a £100m footballer but as he wasn’t playing as much, it was probably as bit different for him. Now he’s flying and it’s the same for me.” Rice insists he always had faith in his ability to step up to the highest level and he has shone particularly brightly on Arsenal’s Champions League nights so far. “I won the trophy at West Ham, which was another level. It was incredible for me and the club. Now I’ve been playing on Champions League nights and been playing relatively well, but it’s something I always believed I could do,” he said. “It was just waiting for my chance and my opportunity. Every game that’s coming now, I’m just trying to take it step by step and perform on the biggest stage. “Speaking honestly, I feel I was playing as well at West Ham in my last season. Even though we didn’t have the best season as a team, I feel like I kicked on again. You never want to stay stale as a footballer. “You’re always looking to improve, always looking to get better. I still feel there’s so many more levels I can get to. It’s just about being eager to learn, practising on the training pitch, and always listening as well.” Rice has also called on England to end an unbeaten 2023 with a “bang” by winning their final Euro 2024 qualifier away to North Macedonia on Monday. England have not suffered defeat since their World Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of France last December and sealed their spot at next summer’s finals with two games to spare. After a drab 2-0 win over Malta on Friday, Rice is keen for England to put in a better showing to bring the curtain down on a strong calendar year. “I think especially the other night after Malta there is just a bit of pride in ourselves that we need to raise our level,” the Arsenal midfielder said. “We need to put out a statement and it would be a good way to end the year. We are currently unbeaten since the World Cup so it is down to us to go out tomorrow night, put on a performance.” Read More Gareth Southgate targeting top of the world as England drive for Euros glory Rico Lewis hopes his versatility helps him make late push for Euro 2024 squad Trevor Lawrence leads Jacksonville Jaguars to victory against Tennessee Titans Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Ludvig Aberg keen to ‘love golf for long time’ after clinching RSM Classic title Luke Humphries continues stunning rise with Grand Slam of Darts success

Rico Lewis is hoping his versatility will work in his favour as he aims to make a late charge to Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate will name a 23-man squad for next summer’s finals in Germany, having been able to pick 26 players for both Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup. That means competition for places will be more fierce than in recent years, with Southgate admitting those who are more adaptable could have the edge. The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Phil Foden can occupy several different positions on the pitch. So too, can Lewis – the 18-year-old having already played in both full-back roles and in midfield for treble-winners Manchester City. He has yet to make his senior England debut but was called up for the first time last week and will be targeting minutes in the final Euro 2024 qualifier away to North Macedonia on Monday. “Obviously, in terms of a tournament, you can only select the amount you can select,” he said. Obviously he (Southgate) has asked me about where I want to play, my favourite position, stuff like that Rico Lewis “It (versatility) can be a key factor in going or not going. But for me, I am not really focusing on that right now but I understand it is a key thing that could contribute to me being picked or not. “Obviously he (Southgate) has asked me about where I want to play, my favourite position, stuff like that.” With Southgate’s defensive options already limited in the current camp, Lewis’ chances of playing in Skopje have been further boosted with Trippier not travelling due to personal reasons. Asked if he would be happy to fill in at left-back, where Southgate is particularly bereft of options, Lewis replied: “Of course. Anywhere I played, I would relish it. Whether it is right-back, midfield, left-back – I am not really bothered. “I just love playing football and at the moment it is going really well. Any opportunity I get, I will do my best to take it. “Obviously, it is not something I expected, especially coming into the international week when I was in the under-21s. Obviously a lot of things happened and fortunately for me I am here now. “I have enjoyed every minute of it so far: meeting everybody, meeting the players, the staff, the training sessions, everything.” Southgate himself hailed Lewis as someone who could fill the void given the number of left-backs who have been forced onto the sidelines. “He is an option. He’s a versatile player,” said the manager. “I’m really pleased with how he’s trained, he’s settled really well. He’s very comfortable with the ball. He’s played there a few times. He’s played everywhere for City.” Lewis admits Alexander-Arnold is someone he will look to learn from, with the Liverpool man playing a very similar hybrid role. “In a sense we are very similar – being full-backs and leaning a little bit more towards midfield, especially with England. and he is somebody I can take a lot of information from,” he added. “I have had a few conversations with him and he is a very nice person. He is somebody I have got to know a little bit.” Read More Gareth Southgate targeting top of the world as England drive for Euros glory Declan Rice putting pressure of price tag behind him to pursue biggest prizes Trevor Lawrence leads Jacksonville Jaguars to victory against Tennessee Titans Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Ludvig Aberg keen to ‘love golf for long time’ after clinching RSM Classic title Luke Humphries continues stunning rise with Grand Slam of Darts success

Gareth Southgate says there can be no let-up for already-qualified England if they are to win next summer’s Euros and become the top-ranked team in the world. The Euro 2020 runners-up last month sealed their place at the 2024 edition in Germany with two matches to spare and were below par in Friday’s qualifier against Malta. England disappointed in the 2-0 victory at a packed Wembley and will look to end 2023 on a high as they round off Euro 2024 qualification in North Macedonia. Southgate’s side arrived in Skopje all but assured of being among the top seeds in December’s draw in Hamburg, but every moment counts as they seek to be best on the planet. “Qualification’s done,” the England boss said ahead of the Group C finale. “With the games at the weekend, we might be ranked third in the world at the minute, but we’re two places off where we need to be so we can’t waste games. “Some of the players have got three games to get into a squad, some have got maybe three to get into a team, maybe a couple more if we’re talking about the team. “There’s some things we’d like to see. But if we’re going to be a top team, then the level of performance has got to be spot on every time.” Asked if being number one drives him on, Southgate said: “Yeah, because ultimately you achieve that through consistency and you’ve got to play well in the tournaments as well because the ranking points are higher in the tournaments. “Also, it sets behaviours every day on the training pitch, off the training pitch. “If you are going to be the top-ranked team, there’s no room for sloppiness or casualness. That’s got to be our drive.” England currently sit fourth in FIFA’s world rankings, making it five straight years of being in the top five. Their previous best since its launch was six months in the top five across 1997 and 1998, yet there remains plenty of criticism for Southgate and speculation about his future. Monday will be England’s final qualifier before the manager’s contract expires next year and he smiled when it was mentioned that former Football Association executive David Dein had said he should get a new deal. Asked if he anticipated this being his final qualifier in the hotseat, Southgate said: “I haven’t thought about it, really. “I’ve thought about the game tomorrow and the need for a better performance than Friday so that’s what I’ve been focusing on. “I feel almost as if we’ve almost talked too much about the Euros already and I didn’t see our focus in the right place at the weekend. “So, it’s tomorrow, then it’s March, then it’s the summer. And we go from there.” Southgate downplayed suggestions of his future being a distraction but suggested his comments about their Euros ambitions may have been. “Well, I think talk of the summer was a distraction on Friday in its own way,” he added. “Look, in football management, frankly I think you should look no further than three or four games ahead anyway. “But I think when you’ve got a tournament coming up, inevitably, as an international manager, you’re going to be judged on tournaments so everybody before that is pretty futile, really.” England’s final camp of the year has been disrupted by absentees. Five players withdrew from the original squad through injury and two more departed the squad before they flew out to the Balkans. The FA announced Kieran Trippier had gone home due to a personal issue, while injury meant Jarrod Bowen left the camp on Sunday. A soldout Tose Proeski Arena awaits England’s absentee-hit 21-man squad as the Macedonians look to make up for June’s 7-0 hiding at Old Trafford. “We play a team who, although they can’t qualify, have tremendous pride and they’ll be wounded by what happened in Manchester,” Southgate added. “We have to be ready for a really good atmosphere. Full crowd, full stadium. “We’ve had a calendar year where we’ve been very good, so we want to finish well.” Read More Rico Lewis hopes his versatility helps him make late push for Euro 2024 squad Declan Rice putting pressure of price tag behind him to pursue biggest prizes Trevor Lawrence leads Jacksonville Jaguars to victory against Tennessee Titans Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Ludvig Aberg keen to ‘love golf for long time’ after clinching RSM Classic title Luke Humphries continues stunning rise with Grand Slam of Darts success

Scotland concluded a successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with an all-action 3-3 draw with Norway at Hampden Park. Steve Clarke’s men clinched their place in Germany with two games to spare last month and, following a 2-2 draw with Georgia on Thursday night, there were thrills and spills in the final Group A game in Glasgow. The Tartan Army were in party mood but they were silenced in the third minute of a roller-coaster first half when Aron Donnum fired the visitors ahead before Scotland captain John McGinn levelled from the spot 10 minutes later. Norway restored their lead through striker Jorgen Larsen in the 20th minute before an own goal in the 33rd minute by visiting defender Leo Ostigard had the Scots level again. The second half was no less open and a fine finish by midfielder Stuart Armstrong just before the hour mark put the home side ahead but Norway substitute Mohamed Elyounoussi cancelled that out in the 86th minute with a header. Nevertheless it is Scotland and group winners Spain who qualify automatically for next summer’s finals and the Scots will go into the draw as Pot 3 seeds. It was another thrilling match in an unforgettable campaign. Clarke reshuffled his side, with Luton striker Jacob Brown making his first start in his eighth appearance as Jack Hendry, Armstrong and Kenny McLean also came in. Ryan Porteous, Billy Gilmour, Ryan Christie and Lyndon Dykes dropped to the bench. Stale Solbakken’s side were without injured Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, their captain and Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard and Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, which on the face of it increased the home side’s chance of finishing the campaign with a flourish. The visitors, however, were keen to avenge the 2-1 defeat by Scotland in Oslo which had done so much to shape both sides’ fortunes and they got off to the perfect start. A cross into the middle from Julian Ryerson came off the foot of Larsen straight to Donnum, whose shot from 14 yards clipped Scotland defender Nathan Patterson before going past keeper Zander Clark and in off a post. The goal stunned the home fans but they were soon cheering when referee Horatiu Fesnic pointed to the spot after judging that Callum McGregor’s shot had struck the arm of Donnum inside the box. McGinn slotted the penalty past Norway keeper Egil Selvik for his third goal of the campaign and his 18th international goal in total to tie with former Scotland striker Kenny Miller. However, Scotland were again trailing when Larsen got a flick on Ryerson’s deflected cross at the near post and the ball squirmed past Clark and spun over the line with the on-rushing Donnum making sure. The goals kept coming and the home side were level again when Scott McTominay’s whipped-in corner from the left was just missed by McLean, with the ball striking the luckless Ostigard and bouncing into the net. Norway remained dangerous and in the 37th minute captain Patrick Berg came close with a 30-yard free-kick and minutes later only a brilliant block by Patterson denied Donnum a second goal, before Armstrong came close with a drive in the last action of the first half. The end-to-end action continued after the break. Brown missed a good chance from right in front of goal but only seconds before Armstrong drilled McGinn’s cut-back into the net from 16 yards, after playing a one-two with his fellow midfielder. Dykes, Christie and Lewis Ferguson soon came on for Brown, Armstrong and McLean and then Ryan Jack replaced McGinn, who had taken a knock. By then Norway were going all out for their third goal and in the 82nd minute Clark made a good diving save from substitute Kristian Thorstvedt’s header from close range. Former Celtic attacker Elyounoussi made no mistake when burying a Ryerson cross from two yards out, however. The Tartan Army showed their appreciation at the end of five added minutes and now all eyes are on Germany next summer. Read More Ludvig Aberg keen to ‘love golf for long time’ after clinching RSM Classic title Luke Humphries continues stunning rise with Grand Slam of Darts success Gareth Southgate wants vastly-improved display from England in North Macedonia Declan Rice urges England to finish 2023 with a ‘bang’ in North Macedonia Jarrod Bowen adds to England withdrawals after injury in training Manchester City storm back to deny Manchester United in Old Trafford WSL derby

Gareth Southgate says “performance is the priority” in North Macedonia as already-qualified England look to make up for winning with a whimper against minnows Malta. The Euro 2020 runners-up sealed their place at next summer’s edition with two matches to spare and were below par in Friday’s qualifier. England disappointed a packed Wembley crowd by limping to a 2-0 victory over Malta, leading the manager to suggest his players had subconsciously taken their foot off the gas. Southgate did not castigate those that have done so well for him over the years, but he is demanding a vastly-improved display in North Macedonia as they bring the curtain down on 2023. “Performance is the priority,” Southgate said. “We’ve set a standard. We didn’t reach that standard on Friday. We have to get back to what we’re good at. There’s always a chance within that to have a look at a couple of things that we’d like to see as well. “But the biggest thing is making sure we hit the level of performance that we’ve set ourselves.” England’s final match of the year is also set to be their last on foreign soil until the Euros get under way in Germany. A sold-out Tose Proeski Arena awaits despite the Macedonians’ qualification hopes already having gone up in smoke, with revenge the main focus on Monday. Few saw June’s 7-0 Old Trafford annihilation at Old Trafford coming and Blagoja Milevski’s men are looking to get a famous result having drawn at home to reigning European champions Italy since then. “We weren’t at the level of performance that we want on Friday, so all focus on tomorrow’s game,” said Southgate, whose side have so far gone unbeaten this year. “We play a team who, although they can’t qualify, have tremendous pride and they’ll be wounded by what happened in Manchester. “We have to be ready for a really good atmosphere. Full crowd, full stadium. We’ve had a calendar year where we’ve been very good, so we want to finish well.” England’s final camp of the year has been disrupted by absentees. Five players withdrew from the original squad through injury and two more departed the squad before they flew out to the Balkans. The Football Association announced Kieran Trippier had gone home due to a personal issue, while injury meant Jarrod Bowen left the camp on Sunday. “Unfortunately, Jarrod picked up an injury,” Southgate said. “I think he felt it a little bit yesterday and then again at the end of training today. “We didn’t really have enough time to assess it fully and make a really accurate decision before the game, so we felt better to leave him in England so that he can get it properly assessed. “I don’t think it’s got to be anything serious, but we just didn’t have enough time and we wouldn’t take a risk in that situation.” Bowen was in line for a substantial role for rotated England on Monday, so too Trippier. Performance is the priority. We've set a standard. We didn't reach that standard on Friday. We have to get back to what we're good at Gareth Southgate The versatile Newcastle full-back’s withdrawal underlines the dearth of options at left-back in the absence of injured Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell. “We need to adapt,” Southgate said. “We’ve got a couple of different options and we’re comfortable with it. We can find a good solution to the issue. “We haven’t got somebody that is playing there regularly, but we’ve adapted to lots of situations over the last few years and we’re comfortable with doing that again tomorrow.” Asked about the options and formation switch, he added: “We probably have done it a little bit on personnel going back a few years. “So, yeah, that is an option. We’ve obviously got players that have played as wing-backs. We can adjust. We’ve got Fik (Fikayo Tomori), of course, who did it the other day, Rico Lewis, Marc Guehi can play across there. “He’s done that for us in a game before so it’s just making sure that everybody’s aware of their job. It changes the way maybe you build up patterns and those sorts of things, but we’re comfortable with the situation we’ve got.” Read More Declan Rice urges England to finish 2023 with a ‘bang’ in North Macedonia Jarrod Bowen adds to England withdrawals after injury in training Manchester City storm back to deny Manchester United in Old Trafford WSL derby Arsenal continue winning streak with convincing victory at Brighton Australia ‘top of the mountain’ after record sixth World Cup win ‘It’s the sweetest one’ – Nicolai Hojgaard hails DP World Tour Championship win