ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP SQUAD LADDER: Abraham and Bowen aim to impress

Usually around this time of year, the England squad has already been picked for a major tournament and the final touches are being put in place ahead of the opening game.

A winter World Cup in Qatar has changed all that, and a June squad for England instead offers a huge opportunity for players involved to either strengthen claims on an existing spot or showcase a strong audition to barge into Gareth Southgate's plans.

Ahead of the November kick-off, England have just six games across Nations League fixtures and four of them come this month, making a place in this month's squad even more crucial for those on the bubble of securing a spot.

Here, Sportsmail assesses the top 40 for what looks set to be just 23 places following on from our last assessment after the friendly wins over Switzerland and Ivory Coast in March. 

The only thing that will stop Harry Kane from travelling to the World Cup now is an injury after a strong end to the season, as 13 goals in 2022 helped Tottenham Hotspur qualify for the Champions League. 

Even a poor start to next season will see him have enough credit in the bank to board the plane.

Why is he in the Nations League squad you may ask? Kane is only four goals away from breaking Wayne Rooney's national record of 53. England's captain has that on his radar in preference of relaxing on a yacht off the Mediterranean. 

Still, what a welcome choice of selections that is. 

There is a good argument to suggest that Jordan Pickford hasn't been at his best this season, some may even suggest he is not even England's best goalkeeper right now. So why is he so high up on the list?

For England he has been close to faultless in the last few years, especially at Euro 2020 where he only conceded two goals. 

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