In keeping with a week in which all the talk has been about who has been absent, he also gave the clearest indication yet to Jack Wilshere that he will have to leave Arsenal in January if he is to have any hope of fulfilling his World Cup ambitions.
Eric Dier will lead out England’s makeshift team against Germany at Wembley with Crystal Palace’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek, on loan from Chelsea, set to make his debut in the problematic central midfield position.
Jordan Henderson and Harry Winks have both pulled out and Southgate spoke to Danny Drinkwater last week about being part of the squad for the first time since he took charge.
The man Chelsea signed from Leicester for £35m in the summer has been excused in the past for a number of reasons – bruised ribs, the need to rest a groin problem and a calf injury.
But despite making four appearances for Chelsea since October 25 since finally overcoming the latter problem, the 27-year-old turn down Southgate’s request.
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“He felt he wasn’t ready yet to play this level,” Southgate said. “We had a bit of this conversation last week – I wanted to find out where he felt he was.
“If Danny didn’t feel he was ready, I can understand given the amount of minutes he’s had and didn’t play at the end of the season with Leicester either.
“But we might have other players back by the next internationals in March. I can’t hypothesise over who I might be calling in.”
That is a concern for Wilshere. Only last week Wenger described him as a player who can “affect the game in the final third rather than a box-to-box player”, but not only does Southgate want him playing regularly, but to be doing so in a deeper role.
The 25-year-old is out of contract at the Emirates at the end of the season but could move in January in search of the right opportunity.
Southgate said: “What do you see when you assess a player?
“You are looking for evidence they are going to be capable of carrying out the physical as well as the technical and tactical. There is minimal evidence in the games he has played in and the position he was playing in last year.
“In the way we want play, the way we want to press, it is maybe a little bit different to the way Arsenal play.”