The second international break of the season has finally drawn to a close and many fans are breathing a huge sigh of relief that domestic duties will resume this weekend. England, as one might expect, breezed through their final two qualification games, putting five past Estonia and Lithuania without reply to end the qualifying campaign with an 100% record, the only team to do so. For the national team, attention now turns to next summer’s European Championship, with a handful of friendlies against the likes of France and Spain sandwiched in between.
A number of players already have their place in the team sewn up. Barring injury, Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling, to name three, will be on the plane to France next summer. The problematic position, however, comes at left-back. Luke Shaw’s broken leg suffered in the Champions League against PSV last month means it is touch and go as to whether he will be fit in time to feature for England at Euro 2016. The injury came at the worst possible time for the 20-year-old, who was beginning to realise his immense potential for Manchester United. Only Anthony Martial (7.60) has gained a better WhoScored rating than Shaw (7.36) of all United players in the Premier League this season, so his injury came as a blow to both club and country.
Nevertheless, his spell on the sidelines will open up the possibility for a number of players to stake a claim for a regular spot at left-back over the coming months. Leighton Baines, Kieran Gibbs and Ryan Bertrand each played a part in European qualification for the national team, while Danny Rose, Aaron Cresswell and Joel Ward have perhaps each done enough since the beginning of last season to warrant international consideration. It goes without saying that Roy Hodgson has ample options in the position to select from, especially when taking into consideration that Gibbs (4) played the most games of the four left-backs to feature in Euro 2016 qualifying for the national team.
Provided he can dislodge Nacho Monreal from the starting XI on enough occasions, he is one of the favourites to take his place in France next summer. However, Gibbs has mustered just 16 minutes of Premier League action this season, with Monreal currently first choice left-back for Arsenal. Gibbs has just three competitive starts to his name this term, two of which came in the Champions League defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos. It certainly does not make for good reading with regards to his England chances. A WhoScored rating of 7.58 against Lithuania on Monday night was commendable, but his lack of domestic action is expected to weigh against him when the time comes for Hodgson to make his picks.
However, while Gibbs has struggled for regular first team action, his 16 minutes accumulated against both Crystal Palace and Manchester United is still more than Baines, who is yet to turn out for Everton this season due to injury. Young Brendan Galloway has impressed in his absence, but it’s fair to assume that Baines will come back into the Toffees’ starting XI upon his return to fitness. The 30-year-old is often considered one of Everton’s most potent offensive threats, such is the creative quality he offers from deep.
Since the beginning of last season, Baines has played more key passes (70) than any other defender in the Premier League, this coming despite failing to turn out for Everton this term. Approaching 31 years of age, this is likely to be his last chance to turn out for the national team at a major international tournament. While that may play into Hodgson’s thoughts, Baines’ poor showing at last summer’s World Cup will hardly have helped his cause.
Granted, no England player covered themselves in glory in Brazil, but the left-back’s underwhelming displays by the standards expected of him certainly left a lot to be desired, especially with Baines taking Ashley Cole’s spot in the starting XI. Given his tournament experience, however, the Everton star is among the favourites for a place in the 23 at left-back, though who joins him - if fit - is a predicament.
Like Gibbs, Rose’s lack of playing time for Tottenham this season will no doubt be a hindrance. The Englishman has lost his place in the Spurs starting XI to Ben Davies, despite a notable campaign for the north London side last term having gained a WhoScored rating of 7.23, the third best of all Spurs players. The same cannot be said of Bertrand, whose return to the Southampton side has coincided with back-to-back league wins against Swansea and former employers Chelsea. The 26-year-old was recalled to the national setup after just one league appearance this season and put in a solid if unspectacular showing in Friday’s 2-0 win over Estonia.
Saints’ undisputed number one left-back, Bertrand just needs to steer clear of injury and maintain a level of consistency to be in with a great chance of securing a place on the plane for Euro 2016. Cresswell and Ward are perhaps the outsiders for the left-back spot for England, though should not be discredited at the drop of a hat. Cresswell has made a seamless transition from Championship to Premier League football and has, like Bertrand, been a consistent performer in his side’s defence.
In fact, Cresswell is the only outfield player to play every minute (4140) in the Premier League since the beginning of last season. West Ham have started the campaign imimpressively under the watchful eye of Slaven Bilic, with Cresswell playing an unassuming role in the Hammers’ recent fine form. Like the West Ham star, Ward is another who is perhaps deserving of international recognition. A right-back by trade, the Crystal Palace defender is certainly a viable candidate to fill in on the left, though it remains to be seen whether Hodgson would sacrifice the balance in his defence in order to accommodate the 25-year-old.
Of course, Ward is an option on the left side of defence, but the England boss would be wiser utilising the Eagles full-back as competition for a starting spot at right-back, pressuring Nathaniel Clyne, Kyle Walker and Phil Jones in that position.
Nevertheless, Hodgson clearly has an abundance of personnel available to him at left-back so is likely to be left with a selection dilemma. The England manager would ideally have Shaw at his disposal next summer, but his season ending injury means he is unlikely to feature. With Gibbs and Rose struggling for regular playing time and Baines yet to return to fitness, Hodgson would perhaps be wise to explore his options at left-back in the upcoming friendlies ahead of Euro 2016.
With Luke Shaw likely to miss Euro 2016, who do you think should start for England at left-back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
