5 players who could break into the England squad this week

It doesn’t feel like a long time at all since fans were enthralled by England’s run in the 2018 World Cup, and yet in just over a week it’ll be action time for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions once again, as they face off with Spain in their first game in the new UEFA Nations League and against Switzerland in a friendly game.

Southgate is due to announce his squad this Thursday and with that in mind, England fans ought to expect some changes, and some new faces – some debutants, some making their return – appearing in the mix. World Cup veterans like Gary Cahill and Fabian Delph, for instance, have yet to kick a ball in 2018/19, meaning the likelihood of them being named is slim, and so replacements will be needed.

Based on the way they’ve started 2018/19 – as well as their prior form and reputation – fans can probably expect the following five players to be named by Southgate this week.

#1: Joe Gomez

Joe Gomez may have made the World Cup had he not been injured

With question marks over the England future of both Phil Jones and Gary Cahill, it’s pretty clear that a couple of spots will be arising in central defence for the Three Lions, and one player that can almost be guaranteed to capitalize on those gaps is Liverpool’s, Joe Gomez.

The 21-year-old made his England debut back in November’s friendly with Brazil where he shackled Neymar, and he probably would’ve gone to the World Cup itself had he not picked up an ankle injury in May – an injury that also ruled him out of the Champions League final that month.

Gomez has been back with a vengeance as 2018/19 has started, though – he’s formed a strong partnership with Virgil van Dijk at the center of Liverpool’s defence and has played 90 minutes in all three of their league games as the Reds have kept three successive clean sheets.

That kind of form would be enough in itself to force him into Southgate’s plans, but the fact that he also shows incredible composure on the ball – and already has a pass success rate of 89.7% in his three appearances this season – means he’s the perfect defender for the England boss’s system. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start one of the upcoming games for England.

#2: James Tarkowski

James Tarkowski made his England debut in March

A late contender for a World Cup squad berth, Burnley’s James Tarkowski ended up falling at the last hurdle, as he was named as one of the players on standby for a call-up if one of the squad members picked up an injury rather than in the squad itself. In the end, Tarkowski was the one forced to withdraw, as he was advised to have groin surgery to fix a hernia issue.

Prior to the injury though, there were some fans who felt Tarkowski had done enough to warrant a spot ahead of Phil Jones or Gary Cahill. He played well during his England debut against Italy in March – despite giving away a controversial penalty – and was the lynchpin of an incredibly tight Burnley defence that only conceded 39 league goals in the whole of 2017/18.

This season has seen Burnley’s defence breached a little more easily thus far – they’ve conceded 7 goals in their 3 games – but Tarkowski hasn’t really been at fault for any of them, and he’s also managed to score twice already, opening his account for Burnley after failing to find the net last season despite appearing 31 times.

Similarly to other defenders favoured by Southgate like John Stones and Harry Maguire, Tarkowski is surprisingly comfortable with the ball at his feet and can pick out a pass, but he’s also willing to get his hands dirty – he’s completed an average of 2.3 tackles per game thus far and has also won 7 aerial duels. At 25 years old he still has time to grow as a player, too – meaning it’s a no-brainer that he’ll be back in the England squad this week.

#3: Luke Shaw

Luke Shaw appears to be back on form and could return for England

Much has been made of Manchester United’s poor start to 2018/19 – they’ve already lost twice and were thoroughly beaten by Tottenham at Old Trafford this week – but one plus point for the Red Devils has been the return to form of left-back Luke Shaw.

Once considered the natural heir to Ashley Cole’s left-back spot for England, Shaw moved to United back in 2014 but up to this point he’s struggled massively – he appeared to be finding form as 2015/16 began but then broke his leg, and since his return he’s come under fire from Jose Mourinho on numerous occasions for his attitude and fitness.

Thus far at least though, it looks like 2018/19 could mark the turning point for the left-back. He’s already completed 3 full games for United where he’s been one of their few strong performers thus far – he was probably United’s best player against Spurs for instance – even picking up a goal against Leicester in the opening game of the season.

More to the point, with Ashley Young an aging player and question marks over the form of Danny Rose, left-back is a wide-open spot in the England side right now. Whether Shaw can keep up this kind of form and really fulfill his potential is still a major unknown right now, but he’s probably done enough to force his way back into Southgate’s plans for these upcoming games.

#4: Ryan Sessegnon

Teenager Ryan Sessegnon could be ready for an England debut

Recent press reports have suggested that Southgate is ready to blood a number of youngsters in the upcoming England games, namely the teenage trio of Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Ryan Sessegnon. Realistically though, call-ups might be considered too soon for the former two players. Sancho is just finding his feet at Borussia Dortmund – although he’s performed tremendously thus far – while Foden is still way down the pecking order at Manchester City.

Fulham youngster Sessegnon though is another story. While Sancho and Foden only have a handful of senior games between them, Sessegnon is coming off a full season in the Championship – one of the world’s toughest leagues in a physical sense – and he was Fulham’s most outstanding player in a season that saw them gain promotion, scoring 16 goals and making 8 assists.

It’s true that he hasn’t started life in the Premier League quite so explosively – he was solid if unspectacular against Crystal Palace and Tottenham, and was then left out of the starting line-up for last weekend’s game against Burnley – missing a chance to impress the attending Southgate in the process – but again, left-back is a wide open position for England right now and Sessegnon has already shown maturity beyond his 18 years.

Is it too soon for him to face off against Spain in the Nations League? Quite possibly, but to throw him a bone by including him in the squad and playing him in the friendly against Switzerland sounds just like something Southgate would do. Sessegnon clearly has a lot to learn, but he’s also clearly wildly talented and England finally have a manager who’s more willing to roll the dice on youth. By the time the next international break comes, Sessegnon could be a guarantee in the squad.

#5: James Maddison

Could Leicester's James Maddison solve England's midfield conundrum?

When England were defeated by Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals this summer, the key point that everyone seemed to agree on was that it was the central midfield area that let the Three Lions down. That was not to say that Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli or Jesse Lingard played badly – more that England simply lacked a player like Luka Modric – someone able to retain the ball, unlock a defence and really make a game tick.

The likes of Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Harry Winks were suggested as players capable of doing that job in the future, but one man who seemed to fly under the radar at that point was James Maddison, who moved from Norwich City to Leicester City in the summer. That was probably due to a lack of Premier League experience, but three games into 2018/19, that’s already changed.

Maddison has arguably been Leicester’s most outstanding player thus far as the Foxes have started strongly, winning 2 games out of 3 and only just coming up short against Manchester United in their single loss. He didn’t look out of place against Paul Pogba and Fred in that game’s midfield duel, and then followed that performance up with his first Leicester goal against Wolves in his next game.

A dead-ball expert who holds onto the ball well and can pick a pass, Maddison’s class showed through last season as he scored 14 goals and made 8 assists for a Norwich side who were hardly outstanding and only finished 14th in the Championship. With midfield spots appearing likely for England – Jordan Henderson and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have only appeared sparingly thus far this season – this could be Maddison’s chance to make a mark if he’s called up.