5 players who will make their England debuts soon

#4 Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Ruben Loftus-Cheek could start for England against Germany

Current rumours suggest Southgate is ready to start Loftus-Cheek – currently plying his trade at Crystal Palace on a season-long loan from Chelsea – against Germany in a deep-lying midfield role, which would make him probably the first man on this list to gain a cap. Based on the flashes of potential we’ve seen from him thus far, he’s definitely worth taking a chance on.

Loftus-Cheek can essentially play any role in central midfield, both as a creator or a holding man, and he’s been compared to German legend Michael Ballack in the past. 2017/18 has been the first season we’ve had a real chance to see him in action, though, as despite making some cameo appearances for Chelsea in the past couple of seasons, chances at first-team football are always hard to come by for a young player at Stamford Bridge. At Crystal Palace though, he’s looked excellent – arguably their best player in a disappointing campaign thus far.

The only glaring weak point in Loftus-Cheek’s game seems to be a tendency to fade later down the stretch, but that's most likely down to a lack of experience at the very top level – something that a season of Premier League action should easily remedy. With England’s central midfield lacking genuine world-class talent right now, World Cup spots are certainly open, and if he plays well in these friendlies, Loftus-Cheek could snatch one up for sure.