England manager Gareth Southgate will now have a better understanding about what players he will take to the 2018 World Cup. The Three Lions boss experimented with 22 players during the international break and some impressed more than others in friendlies against Holland and Italy.
Forty-seven different players have been used in Southgate’s 16 matches as England manager but the 47-year-old will have to whittle that down to 23 when he names his squad for the World Cup before the June 4 deadline.
Considering players who have made at least two appearances for England in that time, this is the best rated XI in Southgate’s preferred 3-4-3 formation made up of players still available for selection.
Jordan Pickford (Rating – 7.55)
Joe Hart played the bulk of England’s matches under Southgate but the 30-year-old has endured a sharp decline and is now fighting with Burnley’s Nick Pope for a spot as England’s third choice goalkeeper in Russia.
Jack Butland and Jordan Pickford had a straight shoot-out for the No.1 jersey during the international break, both playing a game each. The latter is thought to have stolen a march in race to start England’s first group game, with Southgate particularly impressed with the 24-year-old’s distribution.
The Everton goalkeeper kept clean sheets against Germany and Holland and was the WhoScored Man of the Match against the former.
Gary Cahill (Rating - 7.12)
Gary Cahill featured in 10 of Southgate’s first 11 matches in charge of England and looked assured of a place in the team for the 2018 World Cup, but much has changed since then.
The 32-year-old is no longer a first-team regular for Chelsea and that has come at the cost of his place in the England squad. He was omitted from the squad for the current international break and has now failed to feature in England’s last five matches.
A drop in form has come at the worst possible time for Cahill despite the fact he is one of few England centre backs accustomed to playing in a three-man defence on a weekly basis.
John Stones (Rating - 7.20)
Other than a calamitous opening 20 minutes against Italy on Tuesday night, John Stones has been one of the most consistent performers for England under Southgate.
The Manchester City defender has featured in 13 of Southgate’s 16 matches in charge of the national team and is one of few players guaranteed a starting berth at the World Cup.
Stones is England’s most talented defender but, as he showed against Italy, he is still prone to coughing up chances and he will need to avoid that if England are to go far in the tournament.
Kyle Walker (Rating – 7.15)
Kyle Walker is the second Manchester City player guaranteed a starting place for England at the World Cup, although his role in the team has changed dramatically over the last week.
Southgate started Walker as the right centre-back in a back-three in matches against Holland and Italy and the 27-year-old came through those tests with flying colours.
While it means that Walker will no longer be bombing down the flanks, his new position will bring the best out of his underrated passing game, while his athleticism will prevent England from being caught out from balls over the top.
Danny Rose (Rating - 7.01)
A serious knee injury suffered at the end of last season looked to have wrecked Danny Rose’s chances of making the 2018 World Cup.
A reoccurrence of his knee problem at Christmas spelled further bad news, while a falling out with Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino further damaged his chances.
However, Rose did at least serve a timely reminder of his qualities during the international break after turning in two assured performances. Staying injury free for the remainder of the season will hinge on whether he can oust Ashley Young for a starting berth in Russia.
Jordan Henderson (Rating – 7.20)
Jordan Henderson hasn’t always produced his best football for England but a dearth of other alternatives means the Liverpool skipper is all but guaranteed a starting role for England.
The Liverpool midfielder impressed against Holland on Friday and will need to replicate similar performances against high calibre opposition in Russia if England are to have any chance of controlling midfield battles against the likes of Spain and Germany.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Rating – 6.91)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been a revelation for Liverpool this season and was one of the standout performers for England across matches against Holland and Italy.
His ability to interchange with Jesse Lingard and Raheem Sterling caused problems for both sets of defences and he has an outside shot of becoming a key player for Southgate in Russia.
Kieran Trippier (Rating – 7.00)
Southgate’s surprise decision to convert Walker into a centre-back has unexpectedly opened the door for his former Tottenham team-mate Kieran Trippier to nail down a spot in the England XI for the World Cup.
The 27-year-old has one of the best deliveries in the England squad and he could prove a real weapon for Southgate’s side, particularly if he take his understanding with Harry Kane at club level onto the international scene.
Adam Lallana (Rating 7.06)
Adam Lallana has endured a wretched season and races a real race against time to prove his fitness to Southgate before he has to name his 23-man squad.
A serious injury in pre-season has limited the 29-year-old to just 13 appearances for club and country this season.
Prior to that, Lallana was arguably the standout performer of Southgate’s early reign and impressed with a 30-minute cameo against Italy on Tuesday night.
Dele Alli (Rating – 6.98)
The international break was encouraging for most players but it was a disaster for Dele Alli, who has now dropped below Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard in the pecking order.
Alli is regarded as one of the best young talents in Europe but was a substitute in games against Holland and Italy as Lingard played a direct hand in both goals England scored over the two matches.
The 21-year-old still sneaks into the best rated XI based on his performances earlier in Southgate’s tenure but he will need to improve over the remainder of the season to get back into the first-team picture for England.
Harry Kane (Rating – 7.97)
A serious ankle injury forced Harry Kane to miss matches against Holland and Italy in the last week but the Tottenham striker is expected to recover in time well before the 2018 World Cup.
Kane is England’s top scorer (seven goals) under Southgate and also the highest WhoScored rated player (7.97) across his 16 matches in charge of the national team.
The Three Lions will need a fit and firing Kane in Russia if they harbour any hopes of going deep in the tournament.
