World Cup 2018: Three talking points before England’s squad is revealed
Gareth Southgate will confirm his 23-man squad for the World Cup on Wednesday and there are plenty of question marks hanging over a number of key positions
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Your support makes all the difference.Gareth Southgate will confirm his 23-man squad for the World Cup on Wednesday and there are plenty of question marks hanging over a number of key positions.
Joe Hart will be excluded, as will Jack Wilshere, while Fabian Delph is expected to be included when the final line-up is announced. Here are three talking points ahead of the official squad announcement:
How many full-backs do England need?
Of course England would normally take four full-backs to the tournament, but the situation is slightly different this time. Gareth Southgate experimented with Kyle Walker on the right of his back three, and Kieran Trippier outside him, during England’s March friendlies. It worked well but it raises the question whether he needs a third right-back in Trent Alexander-Arnold. On the other side, Southgate wants to take Danny Rose as first choice but he also has the option of Ashley Young, who has played there for Manchester United. So does he need Ryan Bertrand as well?
Do England have enough midfielders?
We are a long way from the Steven Gerrard/Frank Lampard combination conundrum now. This England generation is desperately short in midfield and much of Southgate’s concerns this summer is finding a workable combination in the middle of the pitch. Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson are the two certainties but many other options have been sidelined by injury. Harry Winks shone there in Slovakia but his season has been ruined by an ankle injury. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was just finding form for Liverpool when he injured knee ligaments. Nathaniel Chalobah has only just returned from a long-term knee injury. The result is a real midfield shortage. Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard play more attacking roles, as do Adam Lallana, only just back from injury. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is likely to be the closest thing to a wild-card in the England squad.
Does he need a fifth striker?
Four of the England strikers are obvious enough. Harry Kane scored 30 Premier League goals this season and despite a recent dip is still the only unquestionably world-class player in the England squad. Jamie Vardy has been brilliant again for Leicester City and Raheem Sterling has had the season of his life helping Manchester City to the Premier League title. Then there is Marcus Rashford, a great talent even if he has not played as much as he might have done for Manchester United this season. So the question is whether England need one more. Danny Welbeck is next in line, and was called up for the England squad in March when Kane was injured. He is currently fit and has 10 goals for the season, so Southgate must decide if he would be an asset for the squad.
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