<p>England's leadership team will discuss whether to take a knee as an anti-racism gesture before Thursday's 2022 World Cup qualifier against San Marino, manager Gareth Southgate said.</p>.<p>The pre-match gesture has been a part of England's Premier League and lower-tier English Football League games since football resumed after the Covid-19 shutdown last June.</p>.<p>However, some within the game have said the gesture is merely symbolic and no longer carries any weight, while Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha recently said taking a knee before matches was "degrading".</p>.<p>"We'll be unified on whatever we do and if there's any doubt I think we would take the knee," Southgate said.</p>.<p>"I spoke with the leadership team and asked them to talk to the rest because I think it's a good process to hear each other's views.</p>.<p>"That's part of how we educate ourselves in all of these different matters."</p>.<p>Southgate said he understood Zaha's concerns about taking a knee.</p>.<p>"When I listened to Zaha's comments, I thought he spoke really well, I totally understood why he felt that wasn't enough and that it seems to be just part of the background," he added.</p>.<p>"The debate around whether we should take the knee or not or walk off a pitch or not ... they're slightly peripheral things. The core problems are racism and discrimination. We've got to address the deeper issues as much as make a symbolic gesture."</p>
<p>England's leadership team will discuss whether to take a knee as an anti-racism gesture before Thursday's 2022 World Cup qualifier against San Marino, manager Gareth Southgate said.</p>.<p>The pre-match gesture has been a part of England's Premier League and lower-tier English Football League games since football resumed after the Covid-19 shutdown last June.</p>.<p>However, some within the game have said the gesture is merely symbolic and no longer carries any weight, while Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha recently said taking a knee before matches was "degrading".</p>.<p>"We'll be unified on whatever we do and if there's any doubt I think we would take the knee," Southgate said.</p>.<p>"I spoke with the leadership team and asked them to talk to the rest because I think it's a good process to hear each other's views.</p>.<p>"That's part of how we educate ourselves in all of these different matters."</p>.<p>Southgate said he understood Zaha's concerns about taking a knee.</p>.<p>"When I listened to Zaha's comments, I thought he spoke really well, I totally understood why he felt that wasn't enough and that it seems to be just part of the background," he added.</p>.<p>"The debate around whether we should take the knee or not or walk off a pitch or not ... they're slightly peripheral things. The core problems are racism and discrimination. We've got to address the deeper issues as much as make a symbolic gesture."</p>