England will have qualification for the 2024 European Championship within reach if they record five out of five wins against Ukraine in the Polish city of Wroclaw on Saturday evening.
Since Gareth Southgate’s men recorded a 2-1 win against Italy in Naples in March, they have been in full control of qualifying Group C.
During their double-header in June, they switched up the style and scored the goals as Malta were defeated 4-0 and North Macedonia were defeated 7-0.
Halfway through qualifying, England can look forward with confidence to next year’s tournament in Germany.
But the perennial question is whether the Three Lions have enough squad depth to go all the way and lift the big trophy that has eluded generations of English teams since 1966.
England have powered through Euro 2024 qualifying so far, with four wins from four
Gareth Southgate will still have doubts about whether his team has enough depth in depth
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Southgate’s latest squad left out long-time England stalwart Raheem Sterling, possibly signaling an embarrassment of riches in wide attacking areas.
Even when Manchester City star Jack Grealish had to withdraw from the squad due to a thigh injury, there was no urgency to recall Sterling in his place.
This current group came together without the injured Tyrone Mings, John Stones and Luke Shaw, while Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, included as one of the England midfield selections, was also forced to withdraw.
Also absent are the likes of Reece James, Eric Dier, Conor Coady, Mason Mount and James Ward-Prowse – all regular choices in recent years.
Yet the England team that will play in a friendly match against Ukraine and Scotland next Tuesday still looks strong enough on paper.
However, if you scratch the surface, Southgate could be troubled by the lack of game time that Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips will get this season, with favored options on the horizon at their clubs.
Likewise, there will be concerns about the level of football Jordan Henderson is now experiencing in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ettifaq and whether it will be enough to keep pace with Europe’s best players next summer.
A Sofascore top-rated England XI from the opening games of the season simultaneously highlights the depth they have and also what will be missing in Wroclaw.
Harry Maguire earns the trust of Southgate and continues to start for England, despite barely playing for his club Manchester United
Kalvin Phillips doesn’t play much for Manchester City, but plays – and scores – for England
Raheem Sterling was a surprising omission from England’s youngest squad after good form
Grealish, Shaw and Ward-Prowse all feature. Of course, the injuries to Shaw and Grealish are a shame, but hopefully both will be fit and fired when the real business starts at the Euros.
The fact that Ward-Prowse was left out despite a very positive start at West Ham – one goal, three assists in three games – raised some eyebrows as his form suggests he should be in the England team.
But Ward-Prowse has stiff competition from the likes of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, who are in equally good if not better form, and from Southgate favorites like Henderson and Phillips.
With Alexander-Arnold capable of playing in midfield, as he did in the June qualifiers, and the likes of Mount and Conor Gallagher also having options, England certainly shouldn’t be short of that.
Phillips’ lack of playing time for City has paved the way for Bellingham, who feels right at home as a Real Madrid player, to come in as a regular starter.
James Ward-Prowse has started well for West Ham but has been overlooked for the England squad
Jude Bellingham will be in the England side for the long term and is excelling at Real Madrid
Southgate needs reassurance that Jordan Henderson is playing at a high enough level in Saudi Arabia
In attack, England are certainly blessed. Harry Kane has already made a strong impression following his £100million move to Bayern Munich, although all of England will be praying their captain remains fit for the 2024 Euros.
That’s because Kane’s substitute isn’t entirely clear. Ivan Toney had maneuvered himself into a top position, but we don’t know how he will return after his gambling ban.
Callum Wilson is in the squad this time but will not feature for Newcastle, while Tammy Abraham has suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has disappeared from the picture and Mason Greenwood is now unlikely to be Kane’s long-term successor.
Eddie Nketiah will hopefully get some time on the pitch to win his first cap and show what he can do.
On the left, Grealish’s absence hardly matters if you can bring in Marcus Rashford or Phil Foden, but England are quite reliant on Bukayo Saka to play on the right. Fortunately, he has been in good shape for a while.
Harry Kane has made an encouraging start at Bayern Munich following his £100million move
Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah (left) may get the chance to prove he can be Kane’s understudy
James Maddison is looking increasingly likely to cement himself in the England squad after a strong start at Tottenham, while Eberechi Eze will be hopeful of winning a second cap.
So England have significant depth in those attacking areas – or at least when everyone is available. They certainly haven’t struggled for goals in this qualifying season, but as always, any injury to Kane will be disastrous.
Defense could be more problematic. Southgate has long remained loyal to the Maguire-Stones centre-back combination, but one is currently out injured and the other has played just 23 minutes of football this season.
Maguire received more love from the England fans at Old Trafford during the win over North Macedonia in June than he had received from United supporters all season.
Despite being demoted to United’s pecking order by Erik ten Hag, Maguire has completed England’s last eight games and started the last 10. To be honest, he rarely lets England down.
One suspects the streak of starts will continue, but with Marc Guehi alongside him. The Palace man is picked by Sofascore for his form, albeit alongside Arsenal’s Ben White, who was once again passed over for an England side.
Sofascore believes Marc Guehi deserves to start for England after his good Crystal Palace form
Arsenal’s Ben White deserves to play alongside Guehi at the back, according to the form guide
Sheffield United’s Wes Foderingham is the best-performing English goalkeeper this season
Meanwhile, Fikayo Tomori, Lewis Dunk and Levi Colwill are all lining up for opportunities and central defensive depth is apparently not an issue.
Ben Chilwell has dropped into the England left-back role since the last European Championship under Shaw, but is likely to return this week.
In the past, left back was a problem position in terms of depth, with right backs sometimes changing.
Sofascore suggests Kieran Trippier should get the right pick, while Kyle Walker is another strong candidate.
The real surprise, however, comes in the goal. Jordan Pickford has been Southgate’s undisputed No. 1 for virtually his entire tenure and will likely remain so ahead of Aaron Ramsdale and Sam Johnstone, despite Everton’s problems.
But Sofascore suggests Sheffield United’s Wes Foderingham, who was never picked for England, should have the gloves in early season form.
That would be a profound power!
HOW ENGLAND SHOULD TAKE ON FORM
Thanks to Bank score