2018 World Cup: England Squad

The World Cup is now just a matter of weeks away, with Gareth Southgate and his players having gathered at St Georges Park in a bid to step up preparations ahead of the tournament. The announcement of the squad also raises many questions and talking points, however the Three Lions side has a familiar feel to it this time around, with few surprises to speak of. Striker Harry Kane will lead the team in Russia, with the rest of the squad being dominated by talent from major Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Let’s take a closer look at the England squad travelling to Russia, with Southgate’s men entering the tournament as outsiders to reach the last four, despite their impressive qualifying campaign.

Goalkeepers

With former number one Joe Hart having missed out on a place in the squad due to his indifferent form whilst on loan at West Ham this season, it looks like Jordan Pickford has won the race to start in between the sticks in Russia, with the Everton man having started the majority of recent matches for England. Elsewhere, Jack Butland and Nick Pope are also included in the 23-man squad, although their action is likely to be limited.

Defenders

With Southgate set to adopt a formation utilising five defenders in Russia, it comes as little surprise that no fewer than ten have been named in England’s squad for the summer. The likes of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Kieran Trippier and Harry Maguire are seemingly all likely starters, however the form of young Liverpool full-back Alexander Trent-Arnold will certainly be giving Southgate food for thought, with the 19-year-old being only the second uncapped player in the entire squad. Elsewhere, Ashley Young is a versatile option for the Three Lions, while the experience of Gary Cahill see’s the Chelsea man included also.

Midfielders

One of the major talking points here was the exclusion of Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, with many believing that he should have been named in the squad. However, Southgate has opted for the likes of Jordan Henderson, Eric Dier and Dele Alli instead, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek offers something a little different with his skill and stature. Injury to Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain means that he misses out, with team mate Adam Lallana among five players on standby this summer.

Strikers

Captain Harry Kane will look to enjoy a better tournament than he did at Euro 2016 in France two years ago, with the Spurs frontman likely to be supported by Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard in attack. Sterling enjoyed a fine season under the guidance of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, while Lingard is perhaps one of England’s most improved players in recent times.

On Standby

With England playing warm-up matches against both Nigeria and Costa Rica before heading to Russia, the likelihood of someone suffering an injury in such encounters is potentially quite high. As a result, Southgate has named five players who will be on standby, all of which are currently training with the squad too. Tom Heaton, James Tarkowski, Jake Livermore, Lewis Cook and Adam Lallana will all be chomping at the bit to be involved.