“I’ve got to say he wasn’t chuffed to bits to get the call. And I understand that," said the England coach, after announcing the news on Walcott's 28th birthday.
“Quite rightly, he said, ‘I’m one of the leading goal-scorers in the league’.
"I don’t mind being challenged on that at all. I totally respect that.
"I don’t expect him to be happy but I’ve got to make decisions and I think it was the right thing to call him to talk that through — even though the timing probably wasn’t great.”
With injuries to Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge, Southgate has gone with just three recognised strikers in Jermain Defoe, Marcus Rashford and Jamie Vardy.