Gareth Southgate has responded bullishly to questions about England’s safety at the World Cup in Russia by saying “you can live in fear or you can get on with things”. The manager intends to discuss the situation with his squad after they gather on Sunday and said he would not want players to make individual choices regarding whether to travel.

There is heightened tension between the UK and Russia following the nerve agent attack on the former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. The Foreign Office has warned of “the possibility of anti-British sentiment or harassment”.

Southgate, asked if there was extra sensitivity regarding England being in Russia this summer, said: “Not particularly. I am clearly aware of the dynamic that’s going on but I’ve travelled the world and been to countries where I’ve been warned about where to walk and where to go; two days later I have ended up running down the street because I have realised you can live in fear or you can get on with things.

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“I am not one to be inhibited by travelling to foreign countries where there have been issues. In my experience all countries have areas of difficulty and all countries have areas where you feel very free. Clearly, it’s a really serious matter and it’s developing very quickly but my job as England football manager is to concentrate on the football and prepare the team.

“As far as all my briefings and information is, we’re preparing to go to the World Cup – there’s no doubt in our mind that’s what we should be doing. And the only thing at this stage that is of highest importance is the safety and security of our players and absolutely of our travelling supporters. It’s a matter that’s completely out of my control, really. We are desperate to go to a World Cup and that’s where my remit ends on that matter.”

Southgate’s squad gather on Sunday for friendlies in the Netherlands a week on Friday and at home to Italy four days later and the manager plans to discuss the matter. “It’s probably something I would raise with them just because it is so visible at the moment,” he said. “It is important whenever there is speculation and uncertainty that you put it into context for everybody.”

He expects there will be concerns among the squad he named on Thursday, which included four uncapped players in Burnley’s Nick Pope and James Tarkowski, Swansea City’s Alfie Mawson and the Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook.

“The players would be the biggest consideration, if they do have any concerns, and clearly with the amount of spotlight on the issues they’ll have questions to ask and they will have things they are uncertain of,” Southgate said. “So we have to make sure we give them all the facts we have, allay fears they have and make sure they and their families are safe and secure.”

Southgate believes players should not have to be in the position of making a choice over whether to go to Russia. “The important thing is that ultimately a decision on the team going will be taken by the FA in conjunction with the government,” he said, before citing the 2003 cricket World Cup. “It’s not a decision I’m going to take. It must have been very difficult for the cricket team to make individual decisions [with regard to playing Zimbabwe in Harare] and I don’t think anyone would want to have to do that.”

Southgate said he would be happy for his squad to eat locally sourced ingredients in Russia. “I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t – we always take a chef away with us and part of his responsibility is to source the produce. That is standard procedure with the senior team and some of the junior teams when they travel as well.”

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Pope was one of four goalkeepers called up, joining Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Stoke City’s Jack Butland and Manchester City’s Joe Hart, who is on loan at West Ham. Hart has been the No 1 but Southgate said the position was “up for grabs”, with Butland thought to be his main rival. The manager agreed it was unfortunate to not know his first choice so close to the World Cup. “We have had someone who has been No 1 for a period of time but he currently isn’t No 1 for his club,” he said.

With the centre-backs Tarkowski and Mawson included, there was no room for Manchester United’s Chris Smalling, Chelsea’s Gary Cahill – who has been captain under Southgate – or Everton’s Michael Keane. The manager described dropping Cahill as “a very difficult call” and said the player remained in his thinking.

The door is open to others as well. Injuries ruled out United’s Phil Jones, Manchester City’s Fabian Delph and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the Chelsea midfielder on loan at Crystal Palace, but Southgate said they could force a way into the Russia 2018 squad. “There are players who are not out of our minds, three in particular who are still recovering from injuries, along with Harry [Kane],” he said.

Southgate, who gave Jack Wilshere a first call-up since Euro 2016, brushed off Kane’s ankle injury. His first-choice centre-forward is expected to be fit for the tournament and there was a place for Wilshere’s Arsenal colleague Danny Welbeck in Kane’s absence.

Quick guide England squad to face the Netherlands and Italy Show Hide Jack Butland (Stoke City), Joe Hart (West Ham, on loan from Man City), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley); Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Harry Maguire (Leicester), Alfie Mawson (Swansea), Danny Rose (Tottenham), John Stones (Man City), James Tarkowski (Burnley), Kieran Trippier (Tottenham), Kyle Walker (Man City); Dele Alli (Tottenham), Lewis Cook (Bournemouth), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Man Utd), Jake Livermore (West Brom), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Man Utd); Raheem Sterling (Man City), Jamie Vardy (Leicester), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd).

“It’s part of our World Cup bingo that we’ve got going on: base camp, hotel [how are the facilities], injury to key player,” Southgate said, a joke in apparent reference to previous scares over Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. “I suppose that’s one of the advantages of having played and been around internationals, those situations don’t affect you as much. At some point it’s going to happen.”

Southgate would prefer if his players only use social media sensibly. “I can’t enforce but we can advise,” he said. “With social media you can be attacked in your own home effectively. I don’t know if that is a healthy situation for any young person, really.”