When England manager Gareth Southgate made the decision to cut seven players from his provisional 33-man squad for last summer's rearranged European Championship, few could have been more disappointed and frustrated than Jesse Lingard.
In a bid to get his club career back on track and bolster his chances of representing the Three Lions on home soil at a major tournament, the Manchester United man joined West Ham on loan for the remainder of the season in January.
His temporary stint at the London Stadium was a far greater success than anyone could have possibly wished for.
In 16 Premier League outings for the Hammers, Lingard scored nine goals and grabbed five assists. It was the kind of form that Cristiano Ronaldo would be proud of.
However, it was not enough to earn himself a place in Southgate's final 26-man squad, which more than anything shows the depth of the talent pool that the England manager is picking from.
Having missed out on a place in England's squad for the Euros off the back of a run of such scintillating form, Lingard's chances of getting into the Three Lions squad for this year's 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, based on his current situation, are not even worth discussing.
To date, the United midfielder, who is wanted on loan by Newcastle , has been restricted to a paltry nine Premier League appearances this season — equating to just 88 minutes worth of action. With that in mind, Lingard, as well as United, have got to do something to give him a fighting chance of cropping back into Southgate's thoughts later in the year.
The England boss tends to prefer picking players based on their club form, even if his decision to overlook Lingard last summer was incredibly harsh and, as described by the United academy graduate himself, "emotional."
With the countdown to the World Cup now on, time is running out for Lingard to force his way into Southgate's thoughts.
As revealed by the Manchester Evening News , no significant progress has yet been made on a deal to take Lingard to Newcastle on loan yet, despite their interest. It is understood that Lingard is open to a loan move.
At the same time, however, a permanent exit before the window closes is not thought to be at the forefront of Lingard's thinking, with the midfielder open to running down his contract at Old Trafford and assessing a wide range of expected offers in the summer, when he would be available on a free transfer.
While that's understandable, Lingard must consider his short-term future at international level. If he continues on the trajectory he is on, earning a handful of minutes in dribs and drabs at Old Trafford, and does not leave United before the bell on January 31, he will have lost out on a four-month-long audition to impress Southgate.
His impact at West Ham a year ago was nothing short of sublime; Lingard clearly has the ability to quickly adapt to new surroundings and make his mark.
Given how frustrated he will have been made to feel by both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick this season, it is certain that he will want to let that anger free and doing his talking on the pitch is the best way possible, whether it be at Newcastle or elsewhere.
Failure to leave United on loan this month could dictate whether or not he travels to Qatar or is forced to watch the drama unfold from home.
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