Raheem Sterling has been axed from England's squad for the Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro this Thursday after a bust-up with Joe Gomez.

Gareth Southgate's squad convened at St George's Park on Monday following the latest round of Premier League fixtures, which culminated in Sunday's highly-anticipated clash of the table toppers.

Liverpool emerged as 3-1 victors against City at Anfield, where Sterling was involved in a clash with Gomez towards the end of the match.

Emotions ran high in the wake of City's loss and Sterling was forced to apologise after attempting to grab the Liverpool defender in the canteen of England's headquarters.

Southgate responded by dropping him from the squad for Thursday's qualifier at Wembley.

But was the three Lions boss right to wiled the axe? Our reporters have their say:

Joe Gomez emerged for training with a scratch near his right eye (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)
Raheem Sterling trained but will not be considered for the game (
Image:
Michael Regan)

Mike Walters

Yes - 100 per cent. What the hell did Raheem Sterling think he was playing at?

One of the bedrocks of England's improvement under Gareth Southgate's management is the way they have become *likeable* and a force of unity again.

That unity starts with leaving club rivalries at the door and depositing any grudges with the cloakroom attendants at St George's Park.

Southgate has worked so hard to foster a sense of communal purpose, and Sterling's untimely decision to vent lingering jealousy over a match played 24 hours earlier suggests he has some way to go before we anoint him as the patron saint of English football.

No arguments: Sterling is now a fantastic player, one of the best in Europe.

But that doesn't give him a divine right to settle club scores on England duty.

Full marks to Southgate for bringing the iron fist out to play from under the velvet glove.

Another angle shows the large cut to Liverpool defender Gomez's face (
Image:
PA)

John Cross

No. I think it is a massive overreaction to a row which was over and done with quickly, one that has long since been forgotten.

People talk about it being strong, decisive management. But actually I think it's throwing a player under the bus.

Sterling has apologised to Gomez, he's a popular member of the group and an experienced player. This is not some kid who needs to be shown a lesson.

Where do you stop? If they have a row on the pitch? If there is a flare-up at club level? This is a dangerous precedent.

There are not cliques in this squad like there have been in the past.

I'm staggered that a statement has been issued as it has thrown Sterling under the bus. Yes, it was a mistake - but this is too much.

I'm quite sure that Sterling and Gomez have already moved on because they are two good guys.

Now rather than the headlines being about 1,000 games it's all about the Sterling row.

Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez first clashed at Anfield on Sunday (
Image:
Getty Images)

Simon Mullock

Yes. Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have all admitted in recent years that their golden generation was ruined by players unable to put club rivalries to one side when reporting for international duty.

Gareth Southgate is right to be ruthless by taking a stand now to make sure the same problem doesn't rear its ugly head again.

This England squad has demonstrated great unity over the last couple of years and the manager needed to show his authority by taking action against arguably his best player.

Raheem Sterling has admitted he was in the wrong - and deserves some credit for taking the blame for the confrontation and making a public apology to Joe Gomez on social media.

Gomez has also shown real maturity by accepting his team-mate's contrition. Hopefully the issue has been resolved by Southgate's swift attempt to restore discipline.

Tempers boiled over between the pair (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)

Neil Moxley

Unless Raheem Sterling has physically assaulted Joe Gomez, my answer has to be: No. We cry out for players to show they care and the minute Sterling does exactly that, he’s banished.

Contrast that with James Maddison’s behaviour last month and what message does it send out? It’s okay to cry off with illness and then spend time at a roulette table. But show some passion and you’re excluded.

For me, it doesn't so much show clear leadership as bring about confusion. The priorities appear skewed to me.

I’m not sure what this is meant to prove. If Gareth Southgate wanted to send a clear message, he could have done so with Maddison.

At least he would have been showing consistency acting now as he had done with Sterling. Unless, of course, the whole picture isn’t entirely clear yet.

Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez during England training on Tuesday (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)

Alex Richards

Rio Ferdinand says Raheem Sterling has been 'hung out to dry' by Gareth Southgate with the decision to axe him from one game.

I'm not sure about that and there had to be some sort of punishment; Gomez turned up for training on Tuesday with a scratch under his eye, and seemingly things turned physical.

It's obvious why England players wanted Sterling to remain - having the best player available gives them the best chance of winning football matches.

But I actually think it's quite smart from Southgate to go so strong in this instance and pull Sterling out.

England boss Gareth Southgate greets Gomez at St George's Park on Monday (
Image:
Eddie Keogh for The FA/REX)

It reminds me of Marcelo Bielsa allowing Villa to score on the last day of the season; on the surface it was a powerful act, looked great, but in the grand scheme of things meant absolutely nothing as it made not one bit of difference to either club's position in the table.

This is a nothing game - England will win - and sends a message to the entire squad that 'team England' won't have club loyalties splitting the squad - at a time when the Premier League's two best sides are arguably the best in Europe.

Split loyalties is something a number of players from previous eras have commented on, claiming it was an issue.

England's Raheem Sterling (L) during training (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)

Southgate's decision to initially send Sterling home and then backtrack slightly, taking into account the wishes of his leadership group, will work in his favour with players also, showing that he is flexible, that this isn't a dictatorship and that they do have a voice.

Sterling has been widely credited for his growing maturity but it's a reminder to him too that, no matter how impressive he's been, the focus for his manager remains the team.

So far, Southgate's leadership of the Three Lions with off-pitch issues has been pretty exemplary. He gets the benefit of the doubt here too.