Watkins, in Alexander-Arnold dropped: The ins and outs of the latest England squad selection

It's fair to say that injuries ensured Gareth Southgate was relatively hamstrung when it came to his latest England squad selection, so the fact that only two new faces have made the cut for the start of the Three Lions' World Cup qualifying campaign has been met with some disappointment.

With the likes Jordan Pickford, Jordan Henderson, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho and Danny Ings among those sidelined for the upcoming meetings with San Marino, Albania and Poland, Southgate will hope to learn more about a handful of players ahead of Euro 2020 regardless.

We run through the stats of those that have earned long-awaited recalls to the squad and said first  time call ups, as well as picking out a selection of players that can feel hard done by to miss out.

RECALLED: John Stones

There are no surprises whatsoever when it comes to the return of John Stones, whose form this season will surely see him join Harry Maguire in England's expected back three this summer. In 18 Premier League starts this season, the centre-back has scored as many goals (4) as he has allowed his side to concede at the opposite end.

RECALLED: Luke Shaw

With only four Englishmen to have made five or more Premier League appearances since the start of February earning a higher rating than Shaw (7.41) in that time, the Manchester United full-backs return was another no-brainer. With some concrete competition for a spot at left-back at last, Ben Chilwell's place is no longer a given for England, particularly given that's no longer the case at Chelsea either.

RECALLED: Jesse Lingard

Returning to the squad for the first time since June 2019, Lingard's lightning fast start to life on loan at West Ham has seen him come in from the cold. Injuries to the likes of Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho and Leicester duo James Maddison and Harvey Barnes have no doubt contributed to the 29-year-old's recall, but in truth he's there on merit having had a direct hand in five goals - scoring four - in his first six games for the Hammers.

CALL-UP: Sam Johnstone

With Pickford ruled out, Johnstone is a worthy beneficiary despite looking increasingly likely to be relegated with West Brom. He'll have top-flight suitors for sure if that is the case, however, having made more saves than any other goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues, and some sensational ones to boot.

CALL-UP: Ollie Watkins

It's well documented that Villa have suffered in the absence of the injured Jack Grealish but one man that has done so more than any other is Watkins. With his supply line cut off, the goals have dried up, but Southgate has clearly recognised his 10-goal haul could still have been significantly stronger. Indeed, Watkins can consider himself among the most unfortunate strikers this season, having had three goals ruled ot by marginal VAR calls and hit the woodwork more times (7) than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. With only Harry Kane having created more chances of Premier League strikers this season (32), Watkins work rate and selflessness has paid off.

Here it is… your first #ThreeLions squad of the year! 👊

— England (@England) March 18, 2021

OVERLOOKED: Trent Alexander-Arnold

Undoubtedly the most shocking omission from the latest squad, assuming he hasn't sustained an unreported injury, the lingering sense that Southgate wasn't convinced by Alexander-Arnold has been emphatically confirmed. Considered by many as the best right-back in Europe last season, there is no question the Liverpool star has suffered a drop off in form this time around - with a rating drop from 7.20 last season to 6.82 in 2020/21. However, to be out of the squad altogether is a fall from grace, as Reece James gets the nod alongside the likes of Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker.

 
OVERLOOKED: Ezri Konsa

While England have plenty of absentees in attacking positions heading into this international break, their defensive ranks are fully stocked but many still expected to see Konsa earn a first call up. The Villa centre-back has made huge strides this season having adjusted to the top-flight and has looked so at ease in a vastly improved defence. He doesn't always steal the headlines, but his effortless work at times has seen the 23-year-old dribbled past just three times and commit just a single foul when attempting to tackle in 25 appearances.

OVERLOOKED: Aaron Wan-Bissaka

It's simply a case of wrong position, wrong time for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but the Manchester United's right-back can still feel hard done by this season in particular. While Trent Alexander-Arnold has struggled to reach his admittedly heady heights this season and Kyle Walker has rotated in and out of the City side, Wan-Bissaka has been a constant and consistent performer for the Red Devils. He's made more tackles and interceptions combined than any other Premier League player in 2021 (66) and has had a direct hand in as many goals as Alexander-Arnold (4), as well as improving his passing game.

OVERLOOKED: Patrick Bamford

Reports had suggested that Bamford, and not Watkins, was set to profit from injuries to the likes of Danny Ings and Tammy Abraham but the Leeds striker has missed out. A recent hip injury may have been a contributing factor, as Bamford can feel more than justified in assuming he should be ahead of said duo based on his output this season. While Leeds' buckaneering style of play hasn't come as a surprise this season, the goal return of their much maligned striker has, with only Harry Kane scoring more goals from open play in the Premier League this season than Bamford's 12 (of 13 in total).