Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, Fabian Delph Exit England Squad with Injuries

Manchester City duo Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph have withdrawn from the England squad ahead of the international break along with Liverpool's Jordan Henderson. 

The Mirror's John Cross noted as much on Tuesday:

Per BBC Sport, Sterling was taken off after 78 minutes as City beat Arsenal 3-1 on Sunday, while Delph lasted 90 minutes but seemingly suffered an injury late on.

As for Henderson, the Reds have assessed the thigh problem that required him to sit out Liverpool's 4-1 win over West Ham United on Saturday and determined he will be unavailable for the Three Lions.

Football writers Jack Lusby and Simon Johnson offered suggestions as to whom manager Gareth Southgate might bring in to replace them:

Although he is yet to show his best for England, Sterling has been in sparkling form at City since manager Pep Guardiola took charge last season, with a marked improvement in his overall play from his first season at the Etihad Stadium in 2015-16.

He has combined dangerously with Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, forming one of Europe's most exciting attacking units. He has also successfully dovetailed with Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane.

The 22-year-old has already matched last season's tally of 10 goals in all competitions.

Guardiola's selection should not be overly compromised if Sterling's injury keeps him out beyond the break, with plenty of flair at his disposal and the emergence of Sane as a starter.

The young Germany international has given the Sky Blues an additional option as they shuffle the pack at Eastlands, and the signing of Bernardo Silva provides further variation. Silva is yet to fully acclimatise to life in England, but his potential is undoubted after a fantastic year at Monaco before his arrival.

As for Southgate, the flurry of departures hardly makes for ideal preparation as England gear up to face Germany on Friday and Brazil next Tuesday ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

There are plenty of candidates to replace them, though, so perhaps those who are called up in their place can stake a claim in the squad ahead of the tournament by impressing.