Trevor Steven: Leaving Maddison out of England World Cup squad would be mistake
I’m hoping that James Maddison is among the 26 names when Gareth Southgate announces his England squad for the World Cup on Thursday.
Maddison is at the peak of his powers and is, in my view, the country’s most in-form midfielder at the moment.
The Leicester man has a rare ability to find pockets of space and you can’t pass that up in international football.
But he has also improved his defensive diligence too. Southgate may not be a fan but I think he’d be making a mistake if he doesn’t pick him.
Maddison is behind Jack Grealish in the pecking order but injuries happen at tournaments and he represents a classy option on the bench.
Grealish is also a must for me. World Cups are made for players like him and I think he’ll enjoy more impact than he has with Manchester City.
Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Bukayo Saka will surely go but I don’t think Jadon Sancho is affecting games anywhere enough to join them.
In central midfield, Kalvin Phillips might have declared himself fit but I’d leave him at home and instead take Conor Gallagher to Qatar.
I just don’t think there is enough time for Phillips to get up to speed for a tournament that starts in 10 days so he’ll be undercooked if he goes.
I’d include Gallagher as back-up to Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Jordan Henderson for his mobility and all-round game. James Ward-Prowse doesn’t offer enough for me.
None of England’s midfielders can play up front so if I were in Southgate’s shoes I would be greedy and take six forwards.
Wilson, Toney and Abraham should join Maddison in England World Cup squad
Harry Kane is a cert, Raheem Sterling’s England record means you can’t leave him behind, and I think Marcus Rashford has looked enough like his old self lately to make the cut, but I would also select Callum Wilson, Ivan Toney and Tammy Abraham.
Wilson is in terrific form for Newcastle and has played his way in. Toney has great self-belief and you can’t have too much of that around the squad. Abraham, meanwhile, knows Southgate’s approach and has gained valuable experience against different types of defending while at Roma.
Injuries are a real danger at World Cups and especially this one, due to the lack of time to rest before and during a condensed tournament, and England need options if Kane were to be ruled out.
That injury risk means squads are bigger than usual so there is room for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Assuming he is fit, I would take Kyle Walker as he can play several roles in defence and brings a lot to the team. Ben White is also versatile and deserves a place.
With Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw sure to go, I’m happy with England’s full-back options despite the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
At centre-back I’d have John Stones, Eric Dier and Harry Maguire but not Conor Coady. Dier started the season well, even if he has dipped a little recently.
World Cups are all about who is the right choice at a certain time; if the tournament had taken place in the summer the squad would be different.
The exception to that rule is Maguire. He may have been dropped by Manchester United but Southgate doesn’t have an experienced alternative, so leaving him out would weaken the squad.
Trevor Steven is a former England footballer who played at two World Cups and two European Championships. @TrevorSteven63.