Attention is beginning to turn to this winter's World Cup, with England boss Gareth Southgate set to name his final 26-man squad on Thursday.
A provisional 55-man list has already been submitted to FIFA, with players from the Premier League and across Europe battling for a place on the plane. But despite having been heavily tipped to feature in the tournament, there are 12 players who can already be ruled out of contention.
Ever since the Three Lions were knocked out of the 2018 World Cup by Croatia, stars have been predicted to star in Qatar. Here, Mirror Football looks at 12 of those players and what went wrong for them in the four years since that semi-final.
Dele Alli
One of the stars of the 2018 tournament having started four of England's six games was Dele Alli. It was hoped the midfielder would be able to kick on from there and cement himself in Southgate's squad.
Instead though, Alli's career has taken a brutal downturn, as he gradually saw his influence at Tottenham decrease. He made just 15 appearances in the 2020/2021 Premier League campaign, before joining Everton this January.
Even before that move, he had lost his England place, with his last international appearance coming in the 2019 Nations League Finals. His time at Goodison Park did nothing to bring him back to contention and he is now struggling on loan at Besiktas.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What should be England's squad for the World Cup this winter? Comment below.
Ross Barkley
While he did not make the squad for the 2018 World Cup, Ross Barkley was still tipped to play a key role in future England teams. He even returned to the international reckoning in 2018, going on to deliver man of the match performances against Montenegro and Bulgaria in qualification for Euro 2020.
But his two goals against Bulgaria in October 2019 were his last in an England shirt, with the midfielder failing to even make a squad since then. That has coincided with a challenging time at club level.
He failed to convince at Chelsea and a loan spell at Aston Villa did not lead to a permanent move to the Midlands. Instead, his contract at the Blues was terminated in August before he joined Ligue 1 side Nice, though he is yet to score or assist a goal in France.
Danny Rose
Fullback Danny Rose featured heavily during the World Cup in 2018, making five appearances during the tournament. He continued to play a role for the Three Lions until the Euro 2020 qualifiers in November 2019.
Earlier that year, he had helped Tottenham to reach the Champions League final, though they lost to Liverpool. That game also marked the beginning of the end of Rose's career as a player at the top of the Premier League.
He was allowed to join Newcastle in January 2020 on loan, and when he returned to Spurs, he was not allocated a squad number. He then endured a disastrous spell at Watford last season and remains a free agent after being released by the Hornets in the summer.
Phil Jones
It now seems remarkable that Phil Jones played at the World Cup in 2018, though for a long time, he was viewed as a solid defensive option. The defeat to Belgium in the third-place play-off was his final appearance in an England shirt.
A succession of injuries, rather than a downturn in form, have put paid to Jones' career at the top level. He went two years without making an appearance for Manchester United as a result of those problems, with his last game coming in May.
Chris Smalling
Another man tipped to play a key role for England early in his career was Chris Smalling. He was a regular at the heart of defence for Manchester United, helping them to win the Premier League title in 2013.
But international recognition did not follow, with his last appearance for England coming in October 2017. He has since rebuilt his reputation at Roma, playing a key role as they won the Europa Conference League last season.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
After breaking through at Crystal Palace, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was tipped to challenge Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back. His performances at Selhurst Park earned him a mega-money transfer to Manchester United in 2019.
His career at the Red Devils started well and he was handed his first England call-up that summer. But since then, his form has nosedived, with other players moving ahead of him in the Three Lions pecking order and Diogo Dalot taking his place at United.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Having burst onto the scene at Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri, much was expected of Callum Hudson-Odoi. He was handed his first England caps in March 2019, notching an assist on his first start for the Three Lions.
But an ACL rupture stunted his progress at both club and international level, with his game-time decreasing under Thomas Tuchel last season. He has shown little sign of being able to break back into the international reckoning and is now on loan at Bayer Leverkusen.
Jack Wilshere
The ultimate tale of what might have been remains Jack Wilshere, who was considered one of English football's brightest prospects after breaking through at Arsenal. His only long run in the England team came between 2013 and 2014, though he did feature at Euro 2016, which was also his last appearance for the Three Lions.
A series of devastating injuries ruined his career, with the midfielder only able to manage short stints at West Ham, Bournemouth and AGF Aarhus after leaving Arsenal. He is now a coach in the Gunners' academy and may well one day become England boss.
Calum Chambers
Having impressed for Southampton, it was no surprise to see Calum Chambers handed his first England cap soon after his move to Arsenal in 2014. The defender would go on to start two more games for the Three Lions, though that was the end of his international career.
Chambers' game time at Arsenal quickly began to decrease and he was sent out on a series of loans. He was never able to regain his regular spot at the Gunners and has also struggled to break into the Aston Villa team since joining in January.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
A dynamic midfielder for Liverpool and Arsenal, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looked like he could be a regular star for England. But much like Wilshere, injuries have stunted his career, with the 29-year-old having little-to-no luck.
A hamstring problem has ruled him out of the majority of the current campaign, with Oxlade-Chamberlain playing just 14 minutes so far this term. With several players having no moved ahead of him in the pecking order at club and international level, it is hard to see him adding to his 35 England caps.
Jesse Lingard
Another star of the 2018 World Cup, Jesse Lingard has struggled to hit the same heights since then. HIs opportunities at Manchester United all but disappeared, leading to a loan move to West Ham.
He was revitalised at the Hammers, earning a place back in the England squad, though his return to United is now seen as a missed opportunity. He is now at Nottingham Forest, though is not in consideration to earn a call-up.
Jack Butland
Once seen as the natural successor to Joe Hart, Jack Butland's career has not been the same since he dropped down in the Championship with Stoke City. He was unable to secure a move to the Premier League, which led to a season in the second tier.
He has since moved to Crystal Palace, but is the second choice at the Selhurst Park, making just 10 league appearances since his move. That has also stalled his England career, with his last call-up coming for the Nations League Finals in 2019.
