Harry Maguire remains an odds-on favourite to start England's first game of the 2022 World Cup as Gareth Southgate faces key selection decisions ahead of the winter tournament.
The Three Lions defeated Switzerland and Ivory Coast in friendlies on Saturday and Tuesday respectively to leave Southgate with six remaining fixtures to finalise his plans before flying out to Qatar in November. England return to action in June and September to face Hungary, Germany and Italy in Nations League Group C, presenting hopeful players with their last opportunities to force their way onto the plane.
Over the last fortnight, the spotlight has been fixed on Maguire, with the under-fire defender involved in a bizarre training ground incident before he was booed at Wembley by home fans. The Manchester United captain has since received wholehearted backing from Southgate as well as international teammates keen to point out his vital contributions at recent major tournaments.
