England fans are expectant once again ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, having reached the final of Euro 2021 last summer and the last four at Russia 2018.
Gareth Southgate has taken the Three Lions closer to glory than any other manager since they last lifted the World Cup in 1966 — and Euro 2022 glory for the nation’s women’s side has only heightened excitement ahead of the journey to Qatar.
Southgate will be keen to manage the pressure surrounding his squad as the build-up to the tournament continues, but the former defender should also be confident of another strong performance. England will start among the leading contenders to hoist the famous trophy.
The majority of Southgate’s squad picks itself, but domestic form and injuries will also play a key role in his final decision. There are a host of injuries to consider, which could leave the squad somewhat shorthanded heading into the tournament.
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Projected England World Cup squad 2022
Southgate is likely to keep faith with the bulk of the squad that powered England to within touching distance of winning Euro 2021 last year, before their heart-breaking final defeat on penalties to Italy.
His starting defence and midfield rarely changed during the competition, and there appears to be little reason to alter his starting XI plans at this stage.
However, a mixed return to Premier League action for some in 2021/22 unsettled certain positions, with Manchester United trio Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford coming under the most significant pressure. Southgate will also likely not be afraid of including young stars emerging in the current 2022/23 campaign.
Additionally, there are some injuries to key players for consideration. Most importantly, it looks like Reece James could be a serious question mark for participation at the World Cup, having already been ruled out of action through the Premier League stoppage in play. Kyle Walker’s situation is also up in the air, with a groin injury that required surgery and still no estimated return date.
Midfielder Kalvin Phillips hasn’t played for months with a shoulder injury, and there’s also no estimated date for his return, which is a major doubt. Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe had groin surgery and is likely out of action for the World Cup. Another Gunner international Bukayo Saka was forced off in Arsenal’s match against Nottingham Forest on October 30 and there will be plenty of attention around his diagnosis moving forward. Then, on November 2, Ben Chilwell was helped from the pitch by medical staff during Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb while holding his hamstring.
Southgate was permitted to name an official preliminary list including between 35-55 players by Friday, October 21 with FIFA confirming final 26-man squads need to be submitted by no later than November 14.
The preliminary list was not formally announced by the English FA, but news reports have already provided us with a handful of names who made the first cut: Callum Wilson (Newcastle), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), James Maddison (Leicester City), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), and Danny Welbeck (Brighton).
Taking the above into account alongside previous World Cup qualifying and friendly rosters across the past year, these are the names most likely to be on Southgate’s preliminary list.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps | 2022 World Cup Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Dean Henderson | Nottingham Forest (ENG) | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Jordan Pickford | Everton (ENG) | 28 | 45 | 4 |
| Goalkeeper | Nick Pope | Newcastle United (ENG) | 30 | 10 | 3 |
| Goalkeeper | Aaron Ramsdale | Arsenal (ENG) | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| Defender | Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool (ENG) | 24 | 17 | 3 |
| Defender | Ben Chilwell | Chelsea (ENG) | 25 | 17 | 5 |
| Defender | Conor Coady | Everton (ENG) | 29 | 10 | 4 |
| Defender | Eric Dier | Tottenham (ENG) | 28 | 47 | 0 |
| Defender | Lewis Dunk | Brighton (ENG) | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| Defender | Marc Guehi | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 22 | 3 | 1 |
| Defender | Reece James | Chelsea (ENG) | 22 | 15 | 5 |
| Defender | Harry Maguire | Manchester United (ENG) | 29 | 48 | 6 |
| Defender | Luke Shaw | Manchester United (ENG) | 27 | 23 | 4 |
| Defender | John Stones | Manchester City (ENG) | 28 | 59 | 9 |
| Defender | Fikayo Tomori | AC MIlan (ITA) | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| Defender | Kieran Trippier | Newcastle United (ENG) | 32 | 37 | 3 |
| Defender | Kyle Walker | Manchester City (ENG) | 32 | 70 | 6 |
| Defender | Ben White | Arsenal (ENG) | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Jude Bellingham | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 19 | 17 | 4 |
| Midfielder | Eberechi Eze | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Conor Gallagher | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 22 | 4 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Jordan Henderson | Liverpool (ENG) | 32 | 70 | 4 |
| Midfielder | James Maddison | Leicester City (ENG) | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Mason Mount | Chelsea (ENG) | 23 | 32 | 8 |
| Midfielder | Kalvin Phillips | Manchester City (ENG) | 26 | 23 | 7 |
| Midfielder | Declan Rice | West Ham United (ENG) | 23 | 34 | 5 |
| Midfielder | Emile Smith Rowe | Arsenal (ENG) | 22 | 3 | 2 |
| Midfielder | James Ward-Prowse | Southampton (ENG) | 27 | 11 | 3 |
| Forward | Tammy Abraham | AS Roma (ITA) | 25 | 11 | 4 |
| Forward | Jarrod Bowen | West Ham United (ENG) | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| Forward | Phil Foden | Manchester City (ENG) | 21 | 18 | 7 |
| Forward | Jack Grealish | Manchester City (ENG) | 27 | 24 | 6 |
| Forward | Harry Kane | Tottenham (ENG) | 29 | 75 | 8 |
| Forward | Marcus Rashford | Manchester United (ENG) | 24 | 46 | 3 |
| Forward | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal (ENG) | 21 | 20 | 5 |
| Forward | Jadon Sancho | Manchester United (ENG) | 22 | 23 | 1 |
| Forward | Raheem Sterling | Manchester City (ENG) | 79 | 19 | 7 |
| Forward | Ivan Toney | Brentford (ENG) | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward | Danny Welbeck | Brighton (ENG) | 31 | 42 | 0 |
| Forward | Callum Wilson | Newcastle (ENG) | 30 | 4 | 0 |
Final 26-man England World Cup roster
England will not play any pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the World Cup with Southgate basing his final squad pick on domestic, and previous international form. Reports indicate that he will reveal his 26-man squad on Thursday, November 10.
Here’s a projected look at a possible 26-man list assuming players are fit and ready, which at this stage is far from certain. The participation of Smith Rowe, Walker, and Phillips seems to be trending towards unlikely, and the prognosis for Saka and Chilwell will be worth watching in the coming weeks.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps | 2022 World Cup Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Jordan Pickford | Everton (ENG) | 28 | 45 | 4 |
| Goalkeeper | Nick Pope | Newcastle United (ENG) | 30 | 10 | 3 |
| Goalkeeper | Aaron Ramsdale | Arsenal (ENG) | 24 | 3 | 1 |
| Defender | Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool (ENG) | 24 | 17 | 3 |
| Defender | Ben Chilwell | Chelsea (ENG) | 25 | 17 | 5 |
| Defender | Eric Dier | Tottenham (ENG) | 28 | 47 | 0 |
| Defender | Reece James | Chelsea (ENG) | 22 | 15 | 5 |
| Defender | Harry Maguire | Manchester United (ENG) | 29 | 48 | 6 |
| Defender | Luke Shaw | Manchester United (ENG) | 27 | 23 | 4 |
| Defender | John Stones | Manchester City (ENG) | 28 | 59 | 9 |
| Defender | Kieran Trippier | Newcastle United (ENG) | 32 | 37 | 3 |
| Defender | Kyle Walker | Manchester City (ENG) | 32 | 70 | 6 |
| Defender | Ben White | Arsenal (ENG) | 25 | 4 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Jude Bellingham | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 19 | 17 | 4 |
| Midfielder | Conor Gallagher | Crystal Palace (ENG) | 22 | 4 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Jordan Henderson | Liverpool (ENG) | 32 | 70 | 4 |
| Midfielder | Mason Mount | Chelsea (ENG) | 23 | 32 | 8 |
| Midfielder | Kalvin Phillips | Manchester City (ENG) | 26 | 23 | 7 |
| Midfielder | Declan Rice | West Ham United (ENG) | 23 | 34 | 5 |
| Forward | Tammy Abraham | AS Roma (ITA) | 25 | 11 | 4 |
| Forward | Phil Foden | Manchester City (ENG) | 21 | 18 | 7 |
| Forward | Jack Grealish | Manchester City (ENG) | 27 | 24 | 6 |
| Forward | Harry Kane | Tottenham (ENG) | 29 | 75 | 8 |
| Forward | Marcus Rashford | Manchester United (ENG) | 24 | 46 | 3 |
| Forward | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal (ENG) | 21 | 20 | 5 |
| Forward | Raheem Sterling | Manchester City (ENG) | 79 | 19 | 7 |
Goalkeeper
Everton star Jordan Pickford was an ever-present for England during their run to the semifinals and final of the last two major tournaments.
Penalty shootout heroics only boosted his status as Southgate’s No.1, and despite missing the September UEFA Nations League games through injury, he remains first choice, with Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale as backups.
Defence
Southgate has an embarrassment of riches at full-back, however injury concerns over Kyle Walker and Reece James will influence his final plans, with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold back into contention after missing out on Euro 2021.
Walker and James will both be included if they can return to club action before the World Cup, but doubts persist over United skipper Harry Maguire.
Maguire’s struggles at United have not diminished his importance to Southgate, with John Stones a seemingly certain selection alongside him, in either a back four or a three-man defence.
Luke Shaw impressed at Euro 2021, but he could be a major casualty if Southgate drafts Kieran Trippier in as a cover option at left-back. If Ben Chilwell is unavailable due to injury, both Shaw and Trippier would expect to be included.
Midfield
The defensive pivot of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips offered England a platform to build on at Euro 2021, and they are expected to continue that partnership in Qatar if Phillips can somehow return to fitness. Jude Bellingham’s rapid rise presents Southgate with an extra option.
Depending on formation, Mason Mount is likely to start as the link man between midfield and attack, while the England boss has a decision to make over whether to take Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson or opt for a more energetic, younger option such as Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.
Forwards
Captain Harry Kane is an undisputed starter for Southgate and he could break the England all-time goal record in Qatar.
Raheem Sterling’s goals were crucial at Euro 2021, and he will stay in the starting XI if he maintains solid form at Chelsea, with Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish fighting for the other starting spot in an advanced attacking role.
Southgate is well-stocked with wide options, but an alternative — more traditional — partner for Kane could be more of a challenge.
Tammy Abraham’s impressive goal return in Serie A last season keeps him in the reckoning, but a wildcard call for Brentford’s Ivan Toney — called up for the first time for the September internationals — would give Southgate something extra, if Plan A needs to be tweaked.
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England projected starting lineup at World Cup 2022
(3-4-3): Pickford — Walker, Maguire, Stones — James, Phillips, Rice, Trippier — Sterling, Kane, Grealish
(4-2-3-1): Pickford — Walker, Maguire, Stones, Trippier — Phillips, Rice — Saka, Mount, Sterling — Kane
When is England World Cup squad announced?
Southgate is expected to announce his final 26-man roster on Thursday, November 10. The deadline to submit the final rosters to FIFA is Monday, November 14.
England will kick off its participation at the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Iran on Monday, November 21.
How many players will be in England’s World Cup squad?
World Cup rosters previously consisted of 23 players, including three goalkeepers, but FIFA have expanded squads to 26 for Qatar 2022, meaning Southgate has scope to include a few more bold calls in his selection.
The extra places allow for more experimentation, particularly in attacking areas, and may provide Southgate an opportunity to go with less-experienced options to offer a surprise factor in Qatar.
Alongside his final squad, Southgate is likely to name a standby list, as he did for Euro 2021.
Teams are allowed to make replacements for serious injury or medical conditions up to 24 hours before their first match in the World Cup. However, any such swap must take place from the original 55-man preliminary list.
