England face two Nations League encounters with Belgium and Denmark at Wembley over the next week, with their preparations for the delayed Euro 2020 well underway.
Gareth Southgate’s side will play Croatia, the Czech Republic and the winners of a play-off in the group stages of next summer’s tournament, with all three of their games to be held at Wembley.
Southgate arguably has the largest pool of talent to select from since his appointment as manager four years ago, but will have to disappoint many players when finalising his 23-man squad.
Who is all but certain of a place and who is merely in contention? Who has work to do and who is an outside bet?
On the plane
Harry Kane
England’s captain and still their best striker, despite a few doubts this time last year. Kane is not the same player he once was but may be a more rounded one, becoming a provider as well as a goalscorer.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Arguably the most important player in the best team in the country. If England can unlock the creative prowess that Alexander-Arnold regularly displays for Liverpool, he could be a game-changer for Southgate.
Raheem Sterling
Sterling quietly recorded the best goal-scoring season of his career last year, with 31 goals in 52 games for Manchester City. Despite that record, doubts persist over his finishing, but he is unmistakably one of England’s most talented players.
Jadon Sancho
Arguably the most naturally-gifted player in England’s ranks. Still only 20-years-old and with a summer of speculation finally behind him, Sancho should only develop further and will want to add to his somewhat meagre total of only two international goals.
Harry Maguire
Restored to the squad after the Mykonos incident, Maguire is viewed as England “senior central defender” by Southgate and part of the leadership group. That is extremely unlikely to change between now and next summer.
Joe Gomez
One of several Southgate favourites and now a Premier League champion. Gomez can be sure of a place on the plane and a role alongside Maguire in the centre of defence provided he can stay free from injury, which ruled him out of the 2018 World Cup.
Ben Chilwell
In a talent pool not blessed with many left-backs, Chilwell is the outstanding candidate by far. Whether he is worth the £50m fee which Chelsea paid for his services this summer is debatable, but he is a good, attacking full-back who complements Southgate’s system.
Jordan Henderson
Henderson’s presence was missed during the September camp. Despite all he has achieved over the last 18 months, the Liverpool captain is underrated by many and all but a certainty for Southgate’s final squad given his influence and experience.
Jordan Pickford
While there are valid questions about Pickford’s form over the last 18 months and whether he will still be England’s first-choice goalkeeper by the summer, his place in Southgate’s squad appears secure. The No 1 jersey? Not so much.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford has struggled for consistency since the back injury in January which may have ruled him out of the original Euro 2020. Even so, if he is fit, it is hard to see a world where the Manchester United forward is not part of Southgate’s summer plans.
In contention
Declan Rice
England’s best option in the holding midfield role, for now. Rice is still only 21-years-old and has started showing the potential to become a reliable ball-winning midfielder. Will that be enough at a major international tournament next summer?
Harry Winks
Winks is arguably Rice’s main competitor for the deepest-lying midfield role but is more about retaining possession than winning it. Southgate is clearly a fan, naming the Tottenham midfielder in every squad since the Nations League.
Nick Pope
Likely to travel as Southgate’s second-choice goalkeeper, though could push for a starting spot if Pickford underwhelms. Pope’s prospects may suffer if Burnley’s poor start to the season stretches into the winter, with the Turf Moor club going through a difficult time.
Eric Dier
Having reinvented himself as a centre-half and gradually worked his way back into the international fold, Dier can be confident of a place in Southgate’s final squad provided that his displays for Tottenham in that position hold up to scrutiny.
Mason Mount
Another Southgate favourite, even if it can be difficult to see where exactly Mount fits into England’s system. The biggest threat to his international place comes from Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic pushing him out of the starting line-up at Chelsea.
Kieran Trippier
One of the squad’s older heads now, Trippier has quietly impressed since taking the plunge and joining Atletico Madrid last summer. Southgate has not forgotten about him, including him in every squad since, despite a growing number of options at right-back.
Tyrone Mings
Despite only winning his first cap last year at 26-years-old, Mings already appears to be a player Southgate trusts. His left-footedness is no small part of his appeal at centre-back and Aston Villa have made great strides defensively over the last few months.
Danny Ings
If Southgate wants to employ a high pressing style where England chase the ball from the front, he could do worse than starting Ings. The Southampton striker’s scoring record over the last 18 months is just as impressive as his work off-the-ball too.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
This may be uncapped Calvert-Lewin’s first call-up but his form is no flash in the pan and has been generally impressive since Ancelotti’s appointment at Everton. The 23-year-old offers a varied skill set up front, which is an advantage over some of his rivals for a place.
Work to do
Phil Foden
Exiled for now. Southgate has spoken about ‘rehabilitating’ Foden and Mason Greenwood after their breach of coronavirus protocols in Iceland and surely will do once the dust has settled. Foden, in particular, offers a creative spark that England generally lack.
Mason Greenwood
Like Foden, out in the cold after their disciplinary breach at the last camp. Greenwood arguably faces greater competition for a place too and it remains to be seen how Edinson Cavani’s arrival at Manchester United will affect his playing time at club level.
Tammy Abraham
Abraham was vying with Kane for a starting spot this time last year but his early season form tailed off and he now faces stiff competition from Timo Werner at Chelsea. Has every chance of earning a squad place so long as he does not become a fringe player at Stamford Bridge.
Bukayo Saka
Included in Southgate’s senior squad for the first time, Saka’s left-footedness and ability to play anywhere down that flank stand in his favour. Eligible to play for Nigeria and will still have a choice to make even if he wins his first cap due to a change of Fifa’s rules.
Dean Henderson
Easily one of England’s three best goalkeepers based on his displays at Sheffield United last season but may need to replace David de Gea as Manchester United’s first-choice in order to be assured of a spot.
Michael Keane
Keane has started the new campaign in excellent form at Everton and appears to be enjoying a new lease of life under Carlo Ancelotti. This has not gone unnoticed by Southgate, though will need to be maintained.
Jack Grealish
Despite only being 25-years-old, Grealish already feels destined to finish his career with fewer England caps than his talent deserves. Southgate has voiced doubts over where exactly Aston Villa’s captain fits into England’s system.
Kyle Walker
Manchester City’s starting right-back but Walker’s call-ups have been sporadic since the World Cup. Given the competition he faces in the position, he cannot afford sendings off like late on in the 1-0 win over Iceland in September.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Maitland-Niles has earned his second straight call-up after a strange rebirth as Arsenal’s utility man. Could he do the same for England? His ability to deputise at left-back is useful, though he will need to stay in Mikel Arteta’s thinking as well as Southgate’s.
Reece James
One of the few young English players at Chelsea who is not suddenly under threat from a new recruit but James still has Cesar Azpilicueta to contend with if he is going to earn the minutes required to be Alexander-Arnold’s Euros back-up.
Harvey Barnes
Another first-time call-up, Barnes has become a dangerous wide forward under Brendan Rodgers’ tutelage at Leicester City. Faces stiff competition in his position but could be hard to ignore if he enjoys a break-out season.
James Ward-Prowse
Achieved something approaching cult hero status for scuffing up the penalty spot before Iceland’s late miss in September, though will hope that is not remembered as the pinnacle of his international career. His ability from set-pieces is a useful trait to have at a tournament.
Kalvin Phillips
Debuted against Denmark in September. Whether Phillips is trusted to be England’s deepest-lying midfielder at the Euros will depend on how he manages the step up from the Championship to the Premier League. His profile is one the squad desperately lacks.
Conor Coady
Coady received his first, long-awaited call-up for September’s camp and has retained his place. The Wolves captain is more suited to a three-man defence rather than Southgate’s usual four and a switch in formation - for Coady’s debut against Denmark - did not pay off.
James Maddison
Still uncapped despite entering his third season of Premier League football at Leicester City, Maddison is similar to Grealish in that he is yet to fully win Southgate’s trust. England’s lack of a No 10 role also appears to count against the 23-year-old.
Ross Barkley
A regular England squad member this time last year, Barkley gradually fell out of favour under Frank Lampard and now finds himself on loan at Aston Villa. As with Maddison, Southgate said he was not considered for this camp due to a lack of match fitness.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Another player on the fringes under Lampard, whose international prospects have been damaged as a result. Hudson-Odoi’s pathway to regular minutes is unclear, given all the competition in attack at Stamford Bridge.
Callum Wilson
All of Wilson’s four caps have come under Southgate but he was overlooked for these internationals, despite a fast start to life at Newcastle. With Calvert-Lewin and Ings in form too, it may prove difficult to win his place back.
Fikayo Tomori
Another Chelsea youngster to slightly fall by the wayside, though Tomori’s chances began drying up before their summer transfer splurge. Needed a loan move to be assured of regular playing time and now may need to look again in January.
Dele Alli
The forgotten man. Alli’s last international appearance was at the Nations League finals more than a year ago but he will need to win back the confidence of Jose Mourinho at club level before an England return will be considered.
John Stones
The other forgotten man. Stones appears to have little hope of nailing down a regular place at City following the arrival of record signing Ruben Dias and consistent, impressive performances may be required in order to win back Southgate’s favour.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
The barrier to Oxlade-Chamberlain playing more regularly for club and country is the same as it ever was: fitness. The Liverpool midfielder has missed the start of the new campaign with a knee injury. A run of good form late in the season may be his best hope.
Outside bets
Jamie Vardy
Vardy did not announce his retirement from international football after the 2018 World Cup, instead merely ‘walking away’ from the England set-up. Southgate remains in contact and the door is open but a return appears unlikely for now.
Luke Shaw
Shaw has not played for England in more than two years and has been injured for each of his last four call-ups. Despite a lack of left-backs and his regular starting spot at United, Southgate seems to have moved on.
Michail Antonio
Uncapped yet in form with 12 league goals since the restart. David Moyes has made the most of Antonio’s unique skill set at West Ham, leaving doubts as to whether he would fit into Southgate’s system, but a sustained scoring run would become hard to ignore.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Arguably the best one-on-one defensive full-back in the country yet still uncapped at senior international level. Wan-Bissaka is an unfortunate victim of England’s right-back surplus but his own limitations going forward cannot be ignored either.
Tariq Lamptey
Lamptey’s displays for Brighton since establishing himself as a regular under Graham Potter have caught many an eye, with Bayern Munich even keeping tabs on the 20-year-old, but he is another one to suffer from England’s wealth of talented right-backs.
Ben White
Name-checked by Southgate during the lockdown as a then-Championship player who could make the final squad, Lamptey’s club team-mate White has an outside chance if he can replicate the form from his loan spell at Leeds in the top flight.
Aaron Ramsdale
England’s first-choice goalkeeper at Under-21s level has an opportunity to claim one of the mandatory three spots in next summer’s squad but will need to improve on a slow start to the season with Sheffield United.
Jude Bellingham
At just 17-years-old, Bellingham is already starting in the Bundesliga and impressing for Dortmund following his £22.8m move. His age and relative inexperience count against him but, if he is still a regular come the end of the season, he could be hard to ignore.
The Independent’s predicted Euro 2020 squad: Pickford, Pope, Henderson; Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Maguire, Gomez, Dier, Mings, Trippier, Saka; Henderson, Rice, Winks, Mount, Phillips, Barkley; Kane, Sterling, Sancho, Calvert-Lewin, Rashford, Grealish.
