Who should have received a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad?
England are closing in on qualification for the 2022 World Cup as they enter the latest international break.
Gareth Southgate's side are three points clear of Poland in Group I with two games remaining - they come over the next seven days in the form of Albania (H) and San Marino (A).
Qualification is all-but-certain in the eyes of the bookmakers with odds of 1/750 on offer that the Three Lions win the group outright. With those two fixtures remaining, it's hardly a surprise.
The latest squad announcement didn't provide too many shocks although players are starting to drop out following the latest round of Premier League fixtures.
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse will definitely be missing. United defender Luke Shaw is in concussion protocol while Chelsea's Mason Mount is yet to report following dental surgery.
The only addition to the squad has been Emile Smith Rowe, with others potentially feeling that it's a missed opportunity given the slots now available for the two fixtures.
Based on current form, we pick out those who should have had a spot in the original squad.
Conor Gallagher
Conor Gallagher is enjoying a superb season with Crystal Palace - a key figure for Patrick Vieira's side who sit 10th in the Premier League table.
Gallagher's 1.7 key passes per game puts him level with James Ward-Prowse - a player who is in Southgate's plans - while his twice fouled per game average is in the top ten in the Premier League.
He's taken 23 shots in ten league games - scoring four from an xG of 3.65. His creativity is also underlined by his 1.97 xA figure leading to two assists.
Jarrod Bowen
When we consider Jarrod Bowen's individual showings and West Ham's strong season so far, it's a surprise that he's not in the England picture.
He's struck twice for the Hammers in the Premier League but that should have been more with 3.50 xG on his tally. Four assists have come from 2.33 xA and his ability to take set-pieces would make him a name of interest to Southgate.
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Bowen's 1.7 key passes per game puts him at the top-end of Premier League players in this metric while only six players can better his 2.3 successful dribbles per 90 minutes.
He does well to keep hold of the ball too. Bowen is dispossessed an average of 1.7 times per game - much lower than Wilfried Zaha (3.8), Ismaïla Sarr (2.5) and Son Heung-min (2.1) who all have the same or fewer average number of dribbles.
Fikayo Tomori
Fikayo Tomori has been in Southgate's plans, featuring in the October international break as England beat Andorra 5-0 in World Cup qualifying. Despite that, he wasn't selected this time around.
England have chosen four centre-backs and Tomori can consider himself unlucky not to have been picked for the November fixtures. He's a starting figure at AC Milan, putting in some strong performances.
The Chelsea loanee is averaging more successful tackles and interceptions per game than the four centre-backs in the squad. His shots output is among the group with the offsides won metric highlighting his ability to read the game and bring opposition attacks to an end.
John Stones has struggled for minutes at Manchester City this season - Tomori should have been involved this time around.
Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney has netted twice during the opening exchanges of the Premier League season - one he came into on the back of a record 31 goals in the Sky Bet Championship.
England like to have three strikers available with the two positions behind often open to debate as Harry Kane is the established starter for both club and country. This time, Southgate has gone with just one.
Patrick Bamford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ollie Watkins have been fighting for places, with Tammy Abraham also in the picture. With Bamford injured, Abraham he has been selected for the November internationals. Toney can count himself unlucky to have been overlooked along with Watkins.
Toney sees plenty of efforts on goal but can also be a creator too. His 1.49 'smart passes' - a penetrative pass that breaks the opposition's defensive lines - per game figure puts him among the leading strikers in the Premier League while his xA is also higher than the two strikers currently in the squad.
He sees more fouls suffered per game than Abraham (1.99 to 1.25) while also averaging nearly three times as many aerial duels won (6.0 to 2.3).
Emile Smith Rowe
Emile Smith Rowe has established himself as a key figure in this Arsenal side and shouldn't have needed a late call-up. He ought to have been in the squad regardless of dental surgery and injury issues among other midfielders.
The attacking midfielder has netted four goals from 1.89 xG and ten shots on target this season with an additional two assists to go with it (1.09 xA).
Smith Rowe would be best suited to the CAM position for England - most often occupied by Mason Mount - with his tendency as a left midfielder rather than a left winger unlikely to appeal to Southgate.
Despite being 21 and seeing loan spells elsewhere, Smith Rowe has already made 58 appearances for the senior side - scoring 12 goals and assisting nine.
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