With Gareth Southgate set to name his England squad for Qatar on November 10, time is running out for fringe players to stake a claim for inclusion.
The Premier League season has already seen numerous Three Lions hopefuls have purple patches and spells out of form, making Southgate's decisions even harder. However, one consistent performer has been James Maddison, who has shone week in, week out for Leicester.
Jadon Sancho has been less convincing in the Manchester United attack and appears to have plenty of work to do, with a fixture against Aston Villa giving him the chance to impress.
Here, Mirror Football looks at six players whose World Cup hopes could hinge on what they do this weekend.
James Maddison (Leicester City away at Everton)
Saturday’s live evening game will not whet many fans’ appetites but at least it will allow Maddison to put himself in the spotlight one final time.
It’s hard to see what more Maddison can do, to be honest. He is shining in a struggling side, despite being overlooked for the recent Nations League encounters, with six goals and two assists from 11 appearances. His 30 shots ranks top for Leicester this season, with his 26 chances created also a club-high.
The 25-year-old’s form is not a flash in the pan, either, coming on the back of 12 goals and eight assists in 2021-22. The trip to Everton should also allow him to demonstrate his dead-ball prowess, with the Toffees especially vulnerable at set-pieces.
However, given Gareth Southgate’s reluctance to play Jack Grealish, even with an extended squad of 26, including two maverick midfielders may be a stretch.
Jadon Sancho (Man Utd away at Aston Villa)
The bookies would have you believe Sancho is a shoo-in for an England World Cup spot, with many quoting him as odds-on to make the final 26.
Their faith in him is mystifying. He was overlooked for September’s internationals despite a decent start to the campaign under Erik ten Hag which yielded three goals in his opening six appearances. Since then, he has gone off the boil and was hooked just seven minutes into the second half of Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea before being omitted altogether against West Ham.
If he wasn’t good enough in September, why would he be now? Nevertheless, a trip to struggling Villa should present him with an opportunity to give Southgate one final nudge, especially considering how woeful Villa looked in the second half against Newcastle last weekend.
But should he be consigned to the bench, he should at least look pleased to be there. He’ll be spending a lot of time on it, even if he makes the cut for Qatar.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton at home to Newcastle)
In one sense, Ward-Prowse is such a Southgate footballer. Does a job, is a safe pair of hands and rarely has a bad game.
In fact, were it not for his occasional spectacular dead-ball goals you’d barely even notice him at all, which is probably why Southgate has rewarded him with 11 caps. It’s what you come to expect from a man whose personality was boosted by a plain waistcoat.
The continued absence of Kalvin Phillips for Manchester City has presented something of an opening for Ward-Prowse, however. He’ll need a scorcher against Newcastle to press his claims with the England-supporting public. Southgate will no doubt be looking for something a lot more understated.
Callum Wilson (Newcastle away at Southampton )
Wilson popped up with a brace in the Magpies’ 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa last weekend, gaining the support of Alan Shearer, among others, in his bid for a World Cup spot.
Three years have passed since the last of his four caps - a 14-minute cameo in a 6-0 thrashing of Bulgaria - with Wilson having swapped Bournemouth for Newcastle in that time. The stats certainly build a strong case for his inclusion, with the 30-year-old having netted 26 goals in 55 appearances for the Magpies.
That those appearances have come over three injury-ravaged seasons are the case against, with Wilson having suffered from calf, hamstring and anterior cruciate ligament issues.
Still, as Shearer said: “If he's firing and fit, he's the one who should go for me.” Third on the list of England scorers in the Premier League this season, it’s not only goals Wilson needs on Saturday, but also a clean bill of health.
Kalvin Phillips (Man City at home to Fulham)
Talking of fitness issues… Since arriving from Leeds, Kalvin Phillips has played just 13 minutes for Manchester City after being dogged by a shoulder problem.
The midfielder remains optimistic he will be fit to play a part in the World Cup after undergoing surgery, with his confidence shared by City boss Pep Guardiola. Nevertheless, Phillips has yet to be involved in any contact training since his surgery and is unlikely to form part of City’s squad for their home clash with Fulham.
Guardiola is understandably wary of rushing him back but with just one more Premier League match to follow Fulham, Southgate will be looking for some signs that Phillips will be ready for Qatar. That could come in the form of a very public on-field training session before the game. Seeing Phillips join in with a few drills and a bit of keepie-uppie won’t guarantee his place in the squad for Qatar but it’s an important step in the right direction.
Tammy Abraham (Roma at home to Lazio)
Countless column inches have been devoted to Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup, with human rights and workers’ rights to the fore.
The disruption it has caused to the domestic campaign is minor in comparison but has nonetheless provoked plenty of debate. Will England actually be better off not going into a tournament on the back of a gruelling domestic campaign?
And while Abraham has swapped the Premier League for Serie A, his workload last season was no less demanding, with Roma’s run to the Conference League title seeing him play 53 times in all competitions in 2021-22.
His 27 goals saw him called up for June’s Nations League encounters and would have all but guaranteed him a place in a summer World Cup squad. However, the summer arrival of Paulo Dybala at Roma has necessitated some tactical tweaks from boss Jose Mourinho, and Abraham has struggled to adapt to their less direct style.
He looks a shadow of the player who carried the Giallorossi to European glory last season, with just three goals in 16 appearances. The World Cup may be coming too soon for Phillips, but for Abraham it already appears too late.
Who would be in your England 26? Have your say in the comments section.
