Thursday 30 November 2017 17:07, UK
England are set to learn who they will be drawn with at next summer's World Cup and with places still up for grabs in Gareth Southgate's final 23-man squad, there will be a number of players hoping to get a late call-up for the tournament.
Now it would not be an England World Cup squad announcement without an eyebrow-raising inclusion, as we saw in 1998 when Liverpool youngster Michael Owen got the call and then again eight years later with the selection of Arsenal's Theo Walcott.
The current England manager has already shown himself to be more than willing to think outside the box with some of his picks, so a surprise selection or two should not be ruled out.
And here we chose five players looking to be surprise names on the plane to Russia 2018…
Position: Striker
Age: 25
Last England appearance: Never been capped
Caps: None
Sky Bet odds: 10/1
There still looks like being one place up front for grabs and were Wilson to stay fit between now and the end of the season, then he could be a shock inclusion in Southgate's squad. The former England U21 international has only recently returned from a second serious knee problem, but showed he has not lost his nose for goal after scoring a brilliant hat-trick against Huddersfield. And Eddie Howe has backed his player to be in the mix come next summer: "If Callum carries on in this form it's in his hands. I know he was very much on their radar before he got injured and rightly so."
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
Last England appearance: Nov 2015 v France
Caps: 6
Goals: -
Sky Bet odds: 10/1
There is no doubt England are still looking for a creative spark in midfield following the retirements of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, someone with an eye to unlock a packed defence. Could that player be Shelvey? Well, after the playmaker's impressive display against Liverpool in October, where his inch-perfect through-ball led to his side's equaliser, Graeme Souness certainly thought so: "I'm going to say something daft, but if he got his act together there would be a shout for him to get back into the England squad." Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher agreed: "You look at the squad England at the moment and they have workmanlike midfield players. There's very few who see the pass."
Position: Left-back/Midfielder
Age: 28
Last England appearance: Nov 2015 v Spain
Caps: 9
Goals: -
Sky Bet odds: 3/1
Delph - who was in England's preliminary Euro 2016 squad - has been turned into an auxiliary left-back by Man City boss Pep Guardiola this season after the knee injury picked up by Benjamin Mendy, with encouraging results too. So much so that Southgate called Delph up for a World Cup double header in October, only for the player to withdraw with injury. However, with England currently well stocked with left backs, Delph's best route to Russia appears to be as a midfielder, as Southgate recently suggested: "We think he's a really good player. He hasn't had as many games as we'd like, but we need alternatives in midfield. We need more competition for places in midfield and we think he can provide that."
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
Last England appearance: June 2016 v Iceland
Caps: 34
Goals: 2
Sky Bet odds: 5/2
Wilshere may not have played for England in 18 months, but his manager at Arsenal certainly feels he will be in Southgate's World Cup squad if he can remain injury free for the rest of the campaign. "If he keeps going like he is going, he will go to the World Cup for sure. I don't see Wilshere being fully fit and not going," said Arsene Wenger in October. The argument for taking the midfielder, who has featured for his country at the last two tournaments, but has only made four league appearances this season, is he offers something no one else can. "Jack is certainly one of the players who has that (unpredictability) more than anyone. He is maybe more the No 10 than anyone. He can play in tight areas," thinks Wenger.
Position: Forward
Age: 32
Last England appearance: Nov 2016 v Scotland
Caps: 119
Goals: 53
Sky Bet odds: 8/1
England's most-capped outfield player called time on his international career in August 2017 having scored a record-breaking 53 goals for his country. However, after some eye-catching displays for Everton this season, including eight goals in total, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for the 32-year-old to reverse that decision and earn a shock recall in the summer. In fact, Southgate himself has not completely ruled out such a scenario happening, saying in August: "I suppose that we'd have to see where he was at, where the squad was at, where everything else was at. It would be foolish to say 'no' because anything is possible."
