Phil Foden expected to get England recall; Mason Greenwood under consideration
Chelsea's Reece James set to be left out of England squad as he serves two-match suspension for red card against Denmark; Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, who was sent off in same match, set to keep his place as he faces one-match ban from UEFA.
Thursday 5 November 2020 14:01, UK
Phil Foden is expected to be recalled to the senior England squad by manager Gareth Southgate on Thursday, with Mason Greenwood also under consideration.
England begin the November international break with a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland, before taking on Belgium and Iceland in the Nations League.
Southgate feels the pair have been punished sufficiently for breaching coronavirus rules while representing the team in Iceland in September and is ready to reintegrate them into the squad.
The Manchester City and Manchester United youngsters were sent home from Reykjavik in September after meeting two local women inside the team hotel. They were also left out of last month's England squad.
But Southgate has decided they will now be judged on form alone, rather than their previous indiscretions.
That makes Foden almost certain to be recalled when the England manager announces his squad on Thursday lunchtime; Greenwood's prospects have improved, too.
Foden has already made 10 appearances for City this season, and in the last fortnight, he's scored in both the Premier League (against West Ham) and in the Champions League (against Porto).
Meanwhile, injury to Danny Ings frees up a spot among the attackers for Greenwood with Southgate also likely to name an enlarged squad of up to 30 players, as he did last month, to offer more cover.
But Greenwood has not completed a full 90 minutes for United this season, and is yet to score in his five Premier League appearances. He did, though, score on his Champions League debut against RB Leipzig.
James set for England omission as he serves suspension
England will be without Chelsea defender Reece James for their Nations League fixtures against Belgium and Iceland as he serves his two-match suspension for a red card against Denmark last month.
Meanwhile, Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is likely to maintain his place in the squad, but will miss the match against Belgium as he was also sent off against Denmark.
Maguire will only serve a more lenient one-game ban because he received two yellow cards, while James was given a straight red after using "abusive language to a match official" when he confronted the referee after the final whistle.
The other key issues
There are plenty of other selection dilemmas for Southgate ahead of this round of international games.
Here, Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett assesses some of the areas of contention...
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Will James Ward-Prowse's form be rewarded?
Rob Dorsett: "I think there's a very strong chance that James Ward-Prowse will start at least one game in this international triple-header. Southgate's philosophy has always been to pick players, for the squad and his starting XI, who are playing regularly and playing well for their clubs. Add to that, the fact that Ward-Prowse has been a Southgate favourite since the U21s, and the that midfield is probably England's weakest area, and all of that works in the Southampton man's favour.
"There were only six midfielders named in Southgate's squad of 30 last month, which emphasises the relative lack of resources in the middle of the field, and one of those - Kalvin Phillips - has been ruled out this time with a shoulder injury.
"A bigger question might be which game(s) Ward-Prowse starts in: England's toughest and most important game by far is against Belgium in Leuven - that's the middle game of three, with only three days between games either side.
"Southgate's preference has always been to play two holding midfield players against the better sides (he even chose that option in both games against Denmark this autumn), and so Ward-Prowse may well miss out on a starting place for the two Nations League games, at the hands of Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice."
Who will replace suspended duo Maguire and James? Will Lamptey get a call-up?
Rob Dorsett: "Southgate has a wealth of resources in defence, whether he chooses a flat four, or - as has been his preference in recent matches - three centre-backs with two attacking wing-backs. In Maguire's absence, his first choice central defenders for a back four are Eric Dier and Joe Gomez, but if he's playing a three, Conor Coady bumps up the pecking order, as he plays that system weekly for Wolves, and has been outstanding in an England shirt.
"Southgate also likes using Kyle Walker in a central three, because of his raw recovery pace, and Pep Guardiola says the Manchester City man is in the best form of his career.
"As for Tariq Lamptey, his performances for Brighton have caught Southgate's attention for sure. His age and pacy, progressive style of play mean he's exactly the sort of player that would fit into the England shape. However, right-back is without doubt the position where England already have most competition for places, with Trent Alexander-Arnold probably first choice, closely followed by Kieran Trippier, Walker and Reece James.
"Does Southgate really need a fifth right-back in his squad when everyone is fit? I think - unfortunately for Lamptey - he's more likely to be kept in the U21s, simply because of the quality and quantity of players ahead of him. Injuries, of course, could change that."
Has the goalkeeper situation changed after Pickford was left out by Everton?
Rob Dorsett: "If Southgate's mantra is that you have to be playing regularly and playing well for your club to feature for England, there's a strong argument for Jordan Pickford being dropped. But Pickford's form for his country has been consistently strong for more than two years, and Southgate is traditionally very loyal with his goalkeepers.
"Nick Pope is pushing Pickford hard, and earned only his second England start against Wales last month. But it was significant that for the two competitive Nations League games, Pickford was back between the posts.
"I'd expect Pope to start again against Republic of Ireland next Thursday, but it would be an unusual Southgate move if he decided to keep the Burnley man in the starting XI for Belgium three days later."
Can Bamford follow in Calvert-Lewin's footsteps?
Rob Dorsett: "The news that Danny Ings is out for the next 4-6 weeks with a knee injury has increased Patrick Bamford's chances of a first England call up. Before we knew of Ings' absence, it looked like the Leeds man would miss out, because - despite his tremendous form for his club - there were simply too many options ahead of him.
"Harry Kane, if fit, is always a shoo-in for the competitive matches. And Dominic Calvert-Lewin has become a solid second choice, after he proved he can transfer his exceptional club form onto the international stage with a goal against Wales on his debut. Then there's Tammy Abraham, and Marcus Rashford who would both be ahead of Bamford in the striking department, as is Mason Greenwood.
"Callum Wilson has warmed the England bench for so long, it would be harsh on him if Bamford got in ahead of him this time, especially with the Newcastle front man scoring six goals in the first seven Premier League games. But Southgate is likely to name a much bigger squad than usual to cope with three international matches in seven days, so we shouldn't definitely rule Bamford out."
And finally... what do the stats tell us?
If Southgate were to pick his squad purely on form, as per the Sky Sports Power Rankings, his England team would look very different indeed.
We have scoured Europe's top leagues and calculated form on a per-90 basis - for players that have clocked 315 minutes or more this term - and assembled an XI into a 4-3-3, to accommodate positions in equal measure.
Jack Grealish would be the first name on the team sheet, but, if dropped into midfield, he would replace Mason Mount - with Leeds winger and Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison slotting in down the left flank.
A word as well for those English players impressing north of the border - it is not only Ryan Kent, but also defence duo James Tavernier and Connor Goldson who have made strong starts to the season with Rangers.
The majority of England regulars and recent debutants are on the periphery for selection, but Brentford striker Ivan Toney deserves a mention and Andros Townsend would receive a recall - as would Michail Antonio, if he were fit.
Watch England in the Nations League on Sky Sports
Watch England's Nations League games against Belgium (November 15) and Iceland (November 18) live on Sky Sports Main Event.
From England's quest to improve on their third-place finish in last year's competition to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland's pursuit of promotion from League B, we will bring you all the twists and turns along the way.
As well as our live coverage, if you are out and about, you can follow all of those Home Nations games on the Sky Sports website and app, where we will have minute-by-minute updates and show you the goals as they go in.
We will also have highlights of every game involving the Home Nations and the best of the other Nations League fixtures available too.
