When is England’s World Cup squad announced?
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is nearly here but the small matter of naming England’s squad remains for Gareth Southgate, with the tournament kicking off in just under two weeks.
Contrary to previous 23-man squads, Southgate will be allowed to name 26 players this year due to the unprecedented mid-season format.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Tottenham’s Harry Kane will no doubt be two of the first names on the list, while Chelsea’s Reece James faces a race against time to return to full fitness after picking up a knee injury in the Champions League.
Chilwell, Saka, James, Walker and Phillips: England squad injury latest ahead of World Cup
The concerning shortage at right-back has led to calls for the inclusion of Ben White, who has been instrumental in the Gunners’ impressive start to the season.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen are also set for a nervous wait to see if they have done enough to earn a place on the plane.
Question marks still hang over several other names including Kyle Walker, kalvin Phillips and Dominic Calvert-Lewin as they continue to recover from injury, with the latter picking up a knock at the weekend.
Some tough decisions await.