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Football London

Sport

Will Freeman

England squad for World Cup 2022 predicted: Gareth Southgate's projected 26 players

Gareth Southgate England World Cup Manchester City World Cup 2022 Chelsea James WardProwse Kyle Walker Reece James Arsenal

Gareth Southgate does not have an easy task when it comes to whittling down his England squad to a final 26 man list ready to travel to the World Cup in Qatar which starts in just under two weeks.

The England boss has already submitted a 55-man list to FIFA from which to choose from, but this list has not been published having merely been an administrative exercise. However, Thursday's expected announcement will finally reveal to fans which players have been called up for the tournament after months of debate.

The Three Lions face a number of injury issues ahead of the tournament, with the fitness of stars such as Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka among the list of stars a doubt ahead of the opening fixture against Iran on November 21st. Two players who have been ruled out entirely are Chelsea full-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James.

With a range of issues to resolve ahead of the announcement, football.london takes a look at who we think will be in Southgate's final 26-man squad for the World Cup.

Goalkeepers:

Southgate can call upon three reliable players in this position, with a well established pecking order within his squad. Jordan Pickford has been in excellent form for Everton so far this season and is likely to retain his place in goal for England following two exceptional performances at the last two major tournaments.

He likely be reliably supported by Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale, with both having played for their country in recent times. This would give the same goalkeeper line-up as was named for Euro 2020 and provides two highly able deputies for the Everton shot stopper.

Defenders:

This is where Southgate faces a difficult task, with some of his most relied upon stars in pervious tournaments undergoing a dip in form so far this season. Both Connor Coady and Harry Maguire have not been performing at previous levels which earned them spots at Euro 2020, but the latter still looks as though he will make the final list of players based on his performances at the World Cup and the Euros.

Meanwhile, John Stones is perhaps England's most reliable defender in recent years and has played a key role in England's progression in recent years. He is expected to be in the squad alongside Newcastle's Kieran Trippier, with another starter from the Euro 2020 final Luke Shaw looking guaranteed to make the plane.

Another player who looks likely to make the plane after a strong start to the season is Arsenal's Ben White, who has been in excellent form so far this season and looks every inch a top class defender. He could make the squad ahead of Fikayo Tomori, who has been struggling for form in Serie A this season and never looks to have earned the trust of Gareth Southgate despite his starring role in AC Milan's Serie A win last season.

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One player who does look like he has re-earned the trust of Southgate after a couple of years out of the setup is Eric Dier, who has been reinvented under Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur and started both of England's Nations League fixtures in September.

One issue which has been highlighted for a number of years now is the great depth which Southgate can pick from at right-back, with a difficult decision to make in this position with injury and form to consider. Kyle Walker could be a surprise inclusion having just weeks ago looking extremely unlikely to make the tournament, with Pep Guardiola confirming that Walker would be fit to make the trip to Qatar despite injury and a lack of game-time in the build-up.

Chelsea full-back Reece James is now confirmed to be missing the tournament, opening the door for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has endured a difficult time in recent months but remains a world class player with a host of major honours to back this up. The absence of James could open the door of one of Southgate's trusted deputies, with Connor Coady or the left-footed Tyrone Mings both in with a shout having been part of the Euro 2020 squad, but Mings' resurgence at Aston Villa in recent weeks could earn him the nod.

Should Southgate wish to play with three centre-backs, injury concerns could lead him to select a backup centre-back who has been involved in recent squads. This means that Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi could become the final defensive pick which is made by the England boss following a strong start to the season from the former Chelsea academy product and a role in recent England squads.

Midfielders:

England enjoy a strong cohort of midfield options and could provide the basis for a host of talented attacking players to thrive during the tournament. A double-pivot of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice has emerged in the past year and both look nailed on to start the tournament, with both possessing a complete skillset for the box-to-box role which Southgate will demand of them in his expected 3-4-3 system.

With these players having the skills required to thrive within this role, there may be a basis for Kalvin Phillips to earn a call despite a lack of match action for Manchester City so far this season given his previous performances alongside Rice at Euro 2020. He could be joined by another member of England's Euro 2020 squad, with Jordan Henderson having a very good chance based on his leadership role within the squad despite his lack of suitability to play within a double pivot.

Mason Mount would also provide tactical flexibility for Southgate and is a player who enjoys a good reputation among coaches for his ability to play a number of roles. While he may have lost a starting spot, should a tactical shift take place during the tournament, expect Mount to take on a role within the team.

For the final spot in the squad, it looks as though it is a decision to take one of three players, with Conor Gallagher, James Maddison and James Ward-Prowse all in the mix to take up the final spot.

Maddison does not appear to fit into the setup at present, earning just a single England cap in his career and despite his superb form for Leicester, there is creativity elsewhere in the squad meaning that there is little need to take a player who may affect the balance and cohesion of the squad.

Gallagher has played a lot of football so far this season for Chelsea, but with a young squad already, Southgate could opt for the experience of Ward-Prowse. The Southampton man also provides set-piece expertise and has been in many of the recent England squads.

Forwards:

England will be led at the tournament by the Golden Boot winner from 2018, with Harry Kane being in form so far this season and absolutely nailed on to start for the Three Lions. He will be joined by fellow experienced head Raheem Sterling who will travel to his fifth major tournament with England despite a mixed start at Chelsea.

They will be ably supported by Phil Foden, who has emerged as one of the best young players in the world and could announce himself on the global stage during the course of the tournament. Another player who could emerge as one of the best attackers in the world in years to come is Bukayo Saka, who despite recent injury issues should make the plane and play an important role.

One player who benefits from the tournament being played in winter is Marcus Rashford, who may not have made the squad in summer after a difficult 2021/22 season but has been back to his best so far this campaign. He will join Jack Grealish in England's supporting cast of top class attackers who can fill in should injuries arise.

Jadon Sancho has not been at his best for Manchester United, but his expected absence highlights the broad depth of quality within the England setup.

Sancho's expected absence in the setup leaves the final role to be filled by a striker to act as support for Kane. Names who could take this role are Callum Wilson, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tammy Abraham.

There was a time in November where Wilson could have made the cut following an excellent run of form, but a recent spell on the sidelines highlights his injury proneness. This could leave Abraham as the man to make the plane, with the Roma man having a great reputation for his efforts in the Italian capital last season despite a difficult start to this term.