Joining Joe Hart? Five who could miss out on England’s World Cup squad
Published:
Coral run the rule over some possible omissions
There’s not long left to go until Gareth Southgate reveals his 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia this summer.
The England boss will unveil his selections on Wednesday, and there are sure to be one or two surprise omissions among them.
Joe Hart is reportedly the first big-name to fall by the wayside. But who else could be missing in Russia this summer? The Coral News Team have eyed up five potential losers…
Chris Smalling
He may have featured 45 times for Manchester United this season, but Chris Smalling looks set to miss out on the World Cup.
The 28-year-old has not played for the Three Lions since a 2-2 draw with Scotland in June of last year. His form has been solid if unspectacular since, but that doesn’t look like dislodging one of Phil Jones, John Stones or Harry Maguire, all of whom are ahead of Smalling in the pecking order.
Ultimately it’s the ex-Fulham man’s lack of versatility which could see him miss out, with Southgate preferring players who can operate in a number of positions. He’s 7/4 to go to Russia this summer.
Jonjo Shelvey
The calls for Jonjo Shelvey to go to the World Cup have been growing.
The Newcastle United ace has put in a string of quality performances as the Magpies secured a top-half finish in their first season back in the Premier League.
His vision and technical ability are not in question. But his temperament and professionalism are. And it’s that vital component which may do for Shelvey as Southgate prepares to confirm his 23-man squad for Russia. He’s 6/4 to make the squad.
Danny Welbeck
Harry Kane (1/25), Marcus Rashford (1/20) and Jamie Vardy (1/20) are all more or less certainties to be named among Southgate’s 23-man squad. However, for Danny Welbeck, the picture isn’t quite so clear.
Despite a record of 15 goals in 37 matches for the Three Lions, the 27-year-old is only 4/5 to make the plane. His fitness could be an issue for the England boss. So too could his willingness to bring four out-and-out strikers.
Welbeck can also be deployed on the flanks, of course. But with plenty of players already vying for those positions, will Southgate deem there any need to play a square peg in a round hole?
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Unlike some of the players on this list, Trent Alexander-Arnold will not have any expectation about going to this summer’s World Cup. However, should he miss out, there’s an argument to suggest the right-back would be rather unlucky.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Liverpool. He’s shone both in the Premier League and the Champions League, playing 32 matches in total. As such, he can probably be considered one of the standout young players in Europe right now.
Unfortunately for Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier are ahead of him on the runway. And it’s their experience which should win through ahead of the summer tournament.
Jake Livermore
It’s touch-and-go whether Jake Livermore will make the cut for Russia. The West Bromwich Albion midfielder is 9/4 to make the plane following the Baggies’ relegation from the top-flight.
Should the 28-year-old miss out, he can consider himself extremely unlucky. Why? Well, he was a mainstay of Southgate’s squad towards the end of the qualifying campaign.
He also played all but five minutes of action as England held Brazil and Germany to successive 0-0 draws earlier this season at Wembley.
However, no appearances since would suggest his star has waned. And with a number of competitors staking convincing claims in the second half of the season, Livermore could now find himself on the sun lounger instead of the plane.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
