England World Cup squad: Five biggest omissions ahead of Qatar
Tammy Abraham
It seemed that Abraham was winning the race to be Harry Kane’s back-up before the start of this season but Callum Wilson has edged him on account of his form in the Premier League. It may seem harsh but after a brilliant start to life in Italy with Roma, where he scored 27 goals in all competitions last season, the goals have dried up under Jose Mourinho and Abraham has managed just four so far this campaign. A lack of minutes for England in 2022 perhaps did not help, either.
Ivan Toney
After receiving his first call-up in September, Toney seemed to be in a perfect position to stake a claim for Gareth Southgate’s squad. His eight goals in the Premier League so far made him an ideal candidate to play back-up to Kane, while his superb penalty record was also thought to have given the Brentford striker the edge over his competitors. Toney did not play during September’s international break and perhaps that was as much of a sign as anything that Southgate had made up his mind.
Fikayo Tomori
A Serie A title winner with AC Milan last season, Tomori will be one of those to be disappointed by his omission for the World Cup. Although he received his first call-up in 2019, the former Chelsea defender has not managed to nail down a regular place in Gareth Southgate’s squad and was also left out of June’s Nations League matches. Tomori was recalled in September but performed poorly for Milan against his former side Chelsea in the Champions League group stages. Marc Guehi can also consider himself to be unfortunate, with Eric Dier and Conor Coady preferred.
James Ward-Prowse
Another major tournament, another heart-breaking omission for the Southampton captain. Ward-Prowse was in England’s squad in September and has always appeared to have Southgate’s trust but just like before Euro 2020, the midfielder has been left out in favour of other options. Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham look likely to be England’s starting pair but Ward-Prowse offered something different thanks to his excellent set-piece delivery. However, it seems the inclusion of James Maddison and Conor Gallagher has cost him his spot in the 26.
Jarrod Bowen
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The West Ham forward was deserving of his first England call-up in March following a superb season that included 12 Premier League goals. Bowen played in all four of England’s Nations League games in June and was one of the better performers in a tough spell of results for Southgate’s side, but he then did not feature in the September matches despite being included in the squad. Bowen’s place looks to have been taken by Marcus Rashford, who has rediscovered his form in time to receive a recall. Jadon Sancho was another candidate for this position but, unlike Rashford, he did not do enough with his performances for Manchester United.
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