World Cup 2018: 5 high-profile players who didn't make England's 23-man squad

#5 Adam Lallana

A lack of playing time this season has probably forced Adam Lallana from Southgate's 23 and onto the list of players on stand-by

While Liverpool’s creative midfielder Adam Lallana has made the list of players on stand-by should one of the first 23 drop out, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that he hasn’t made the full squad for the tournament.

Lallana was widely viewed as England’s best player in the initial games following Euro 2016, scoring three goals in games against Slovakia, Scotland and Spain in late 2016.

The crux of the matter most likely comes from Lallana’s fitness, or lack thereof. 2017/18 has seen him miss long periods with a reoccurring hamstring injury, and this lack of fitness coupled with the great form of Liverpool’s other attacking players has meant that Lallana has only completed 235 minutes of Premier League football all season.

In comparison to England’s other attacking midfield options – Raheem Sterling (2593 minutes), Dele Alli (2972 minutes) and Jesse Lingard (1823 minutes) – Lallana simply hasn’t played enough football to justify being selected, particularly when you consider the rigours of an international tournament. He’s been terribly unlucky, but those are the breaks in international football.