Ahead of Gareth Southgate naming his squad for Qatar on Thursday, GOAL has picked our own 26-man Three Lions roster
The wait is nearly over. On Thursday we will finally know the England squad that Gareth Southgate has picked to take with him to the World Cup.
The Three Lions get their campaign under way in Qatar with a match against Iran on November 21.
So, who should make the final cut and be in the England squad as they go in search of World Cup glory?
We asked GOAL's Charles Watts to select the players he wants to see on the plane to Qatar.
Here’s the 26-man squad he went for…
GettyGoalkeepers in
Injuries permitting, this is a relatively easy one.
Jordan Pickford has been Gareth Southgate’s long-term No.1 and he has always proven to be a dependable keeper when he’s been in an England shirt.
He did go through a poor patch not so long ago at club level, but his performances for Everton have been much better of late.
So, given he’s in good form for his club and he has a very good understanding with his team-mates at international level, he deserves to be Southgate’s first choice keeper in Qatar.
Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope are then the two keepers to provide back-up for Pickford.
AdvertisementGettyGoalkeepers out
Dean Henderson may have had a decent start with Nottingham Forest this season, making two good penalty saves during the early weeks of the season. But he is definitely behind the other three and should be staying at home, barring any late injury issues.
Sam Johnstone was in the reckoning not so long ago, but he’s not even getting games for Crystal Palace at the moment, so the 29-year-old doesn’t even come into consideration now.
Defenders in
I’ll get this straight out there, Harry Maguire should not be in the squad.
I know Gareth Southgate trusts him and Maguire has been excellent for England over the past couple of years, but that does not mean he should travel to the World Cup.
His form for Manchester United has been awful for a long time now, so much so that he barely even starts in the Premier League anymore.
He's a mistake waiting to happen, as he demonstrated perfectly during the second half against Germany during England's final warm-up game.
It’s just impossible to justify taking Maguire at the moment, especially over defenders who are playing week in, week out and are performing at a very high level.
Indeed, I’d be taking Ben White, without a doubt. He’s been excellent for Arsenal, even if it has been at right-back this season.Fikayo Tomori would also make it, along with John Stones,Eric Dier and Conor Coady.
At full-back, I would take Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker, who would also be a centre-back option in a 3-5-2, along with Luke Shaw. Trippier could deputise at left-back if needs be, following Ben Chilwell's injury that will rule him out of the tournament.
Although Alexander-Arnold has never really replicated his club form at international level, I just can’t leave someone that good going forward out of a squad that has struggled for creativity for some time now.
Getty ImagesDefenders out
Reece James has not yet been officially ruled as he continues his come back from injury, but given his lack of game time recently and the fact he hasn't even been able to train, it's no surprise to see it being reported that he will not be heading to Qatar.
It's a shame for James as he would have been a guaranteed starter had it not been for the injury, but you can't take a player who has been out for so long, even if there is a slight chance he could be back for the knockout stages of the tournament.
As I stated before, Harry Maguire should certainly be staying behind in my view and I'd also leave Marc Guehi out, even though it would be another tough decision.