“In the attacking positions we’re blessed with a lot of options and Madders and Jack give us something different. They were tough calls, but we back our decisions but recognise we could’ve gone a different route. It was sad to have to deliver that news to them.”

After news of Grealish’s omission became public, a sporting director at a top Premier club contacted Telegraph Sport and said: “How can the England manager leave out a player who can make such a big difference from the bench? Crazy.”

Another source accused Southgate of taking the easy option by cutting Grealish by saying: “It’s much easier to leave other players on the bench. The cameras would constantly be on Jack and the commentators would be asking when he was going to play if he was on the bench and England weren’t winning.”

Grealish was part of Southgate’s squad for the past two major tournaments, the 2020 European Championship, which England reached the final of, and the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Southgate was forced to wait to deliver the bad news to Grealish on Thursday while Anthony Gordon underwent a fitness test that he passed.

“There were one or two injury things that we had to confirm through training just to be certain,” said Southgate. “I tried to tell them all as early as I could.

“I knew exactly last night where we were with James (Maddison) and didn’t want him to be hanging on and training when I knew I could tell him. I couldn’t do that with Jack until this morning.”

Asked if Grealish’s level at City had dropped this season, Southgate replied: “I don’t think today would be a good day to talk about the bigger picture. I don’t think that would be fair.

“I have just delivered a really difficult conversation to a lad who is devastated. I think the world of him as a kid. Yes. I am not going to go any broader than that.”