Matt Targett could get shock England call after Aston Villa snub and Newcastle transfer

Matt Targett could be in line for a shock call-up to the England squad ahead of the international break later this month.

That is because Gareth Southgate faces a crisis in the left-back position due to a number of injuries. England take on Switzerland and the Ivory Coast at the end of March and boss Southgate may need to call upon a new left-back to fill the void.

The Daily Mail claim Newcastle's Targett and Leicester pair James Justin and Luke Thomas have been watched by England staff. Crystal Palace full-back Tyrick Mitchell is also on his radar as assistant Steve Holland was at Selhurst Park on Monday night when the Eagles drew 0-0 against title hopefuls Manchester City.

Targett is currently on loan at Newcastle from Aston Villa, after the 26-year-old left the Midlands in search of regular game time in January. He might have started every single Premier League game under Dean Smith last season, but he was left out of the team following the £25million capture of Lucas Digne in January.

Gerrard is incrementally making his mark on the Villa squad and when Digne became available for transfer he acted, to Targett's expense. The former Southampton left-back then left Villa on loan to Newcastle.

Targett has made six appearances under Eddie Howe as the Magpies look to secure their top-flight status before the end of the season, which the Villa loanee has made a significant contribution to. Now, it would seem his performances aren't going unnoticed by Southgate, with the England boss monitoring his form ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Targett is expected to leave Villa permanently this summer with Newcastle reportedly set to sign the left-back for £15million at the end of the season.