Gareth Southgate will today name England’s final 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup.
The Three Lions manager already decided on his 55-man preliminary squad on Friday, October 21 - although this was not made public - but must now make his final decision on who will be representing the nation later this month as England target glory in Qatar.
A number of injuries have already caused plenty of disruption to Southgate’s plans but the time has now come for the England boss to make his final decision ahead of the last round of Premier League fixtures this weekend.
Follow the England World Cup squad announcement LIVE here.
What time is England’s squad announcement?
Southgate will announce England’s final 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup at 2pm on Thursday, November 10.
The deadline for all 32-participating nations to submit their final squads is at 7pm Qatar time (4pm GMT) on Monday, November 14.
Why is Southgate making his announcement on Thursday?
A few eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that Southgate will be announcing his 26-man squad before the final round of Premier League fixtures taking place this weekend.
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However, this allows the England boss to make any last minute decisions ahead of Monday’s deadline should any of his chosen players pick up late injuries that could rule them out of the tournament altogether.
In the event of any last minute injuries or even Covid-19 cases, all 32 teams are allowed a certain number of players on standby should any of their initial 26-man squad need replacing ahead of the tournament start date next week.
Latest team news
England’s squad for September’s Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany gave plenty of indication as to who Southgate will be taking to the World Cup. However, injuries have already played their part in the final squad announcement.
England no.1 Jordan Pickford is expected to return to the squad after missing out in September through injury, with Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Dean Henderson likely to miss out as a result.
Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has recently been ruled out of the World Cup after picking up a long-term hamstring injury, while Southgate is also sweating over the fitness of fellow Blues defender Reece James (knee) and Manchester City duo Kyle Walker (groin) and Kalvin Phillips (shoulder), who all remain huge doubts.
