ENGLAND WORLD CUP WATCH

GOOD WEEK BEN WHITE

ENGLAND are hardly blessed with a raft of in-form defenders, and face an injury crisis at right back. It seems strange, then, that Ben White is not a shoo-in for the plane to Qatar, having been a shining light for table-toppers Arsenal, and able to fill in across the back line.

JAMES MADDISON

THERE is nothing left for him to prove. He is without doubt one of England’s best attacking midfielders, and ran the show at Goodison Park on Saturday night. If he does not get in this time, when will he?

DANNY WELBECK

ENGLAND are not flush with options up front either, and Welbeck — who last played for his country in 2018 — has been a revelation for Brighton this season. He has certainly got the backing of team-mate Adam Lallana, who said on Match of the Day: ‘If we want a striker as good as Danny Welbeck, then we need to spend £80-90million.’

BAD WEEK CALLUM WILSON

IT SEEMS odd to worry about who will be Harry Kane’s back-up in Qatar, but the options are dropping like flies after Wilson went off with an illness to join Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the sidelines. The 30-year-old has been in excellent form with six goals this season, but can he recover in time?

RAHEEM STERLING

WEDNESDAY’S goal against Dinamo Zagreb could have been a springboard for Sterling after nine goalless games, but he was back to his worst form against Arsenal yesterday, swallowed up by the Gunners’ backline. Can Gareth Southgate still justify starting Sterling over Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka?

ERIC DIER

IT WAS not that long ago that Dier looked to be England’s best centre back option after the first couple of months of this season. But since he was recalled to the national set-up after two years away, Dier has been in woeful form for his club and he did not get any better yesterday, making a hash of a clearance and allowing Mo Salah a clear run to

make it 2-0 to Liverpool.