England manager Gareth Southgate will name his 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup tomorrow and it appears that there will be no place for Joe Hart.
The Manchester City goalkeeper, who was on loan at West Ham United this season, has become the first “high-profile omission” from Southgate’s squad, The Guardian reports, after the Three Lions boss decided against taking the 31-year-old to Russia.
Hart has won 75 caps and is currently England’s most experienced player, with four major finals under his belt. That tournament experience was expected to see Hart named as England’s third-choice goalkeeper for Russia, but his form for West Ham has counted against him.
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Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland should be named as England’s top two keepers for Russia and the final spot is likely to be filled by Burnley’s Nick Pope, Sky Sports reports.
With Pope expected to be included in place of Hart, who else will Southgate name in his 23-man England squad tomorrow? We round up the predictions from the UK’s football writers and pundits…
England World Cup squad predictions
Matt Le Tissier, Sky Sports
- Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope
- Defenders: Trippier, Walker, Bertrand, Young, Cresswell, Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Tarkowski, Stones
- Midfielders: Dier, Henderson, Wilshere, Loftus-Cheek, Alli, Sterling, Lingard, Lallana
- Forwards: Vardy, Kane, Rashford
Rob Draper, Daily Mail
- Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope
- Defenders: Stones, Maguire, Walker, Trippier, Rose, Jones, Young, Tarkowski
- Midfielders: Wilshere, Dier, Alli, Henderson, Lallana, Loftus-Cheek, Lingard
- Forwards: Vardy, Kane, Sterling, Rashford, Welbeck
Mark Ogden, ESPN
- Goalkeepers: Pickford, Butland*
- Defenders: Walker, Trippier, Stones, Maguire, Jones, Cahill, Bertrand, Young
- Midfielders: Dier, Alli, Henderson, Lingard, Livermore, Lallana, Loftus-Cheek
- Forwards: Kane, Vardy, Rashford, Welbeck, Sterling
Ogden had named Hart in his original squad prediction
Desmond Kane, Eurosport
- Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope
- Defenders: Walker, Alexander-Arnold, Trippier, Maguire, Jones, Bertrand, Smalling, Tarkowski
- Midfielders: Dier, Henderson, Lingard, Loftus-Cheek, Wilshere, Lallana
- Forwards: Kane, Alli, Vardy, Sterling, Rashford, Welbeck
Tom Bennett, Eurosport
- Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope
- Defenders: Trippier, Walker, Alexander-Arnold, Young, Bertrand, Stones, Maguire, Jones
- Midfielders: Dier, Henderson, Cook, Lingard, Shelvey, Wilshere
- Forwards: Sterling, Alli, Kane, Vardy, Rashford, Welbeck
Jeremy Cross, Daily Star
- Goalkeepers: Pickford, Butland*
- Defenders: Stones, Maguire, Walker, Bertrand, Jones, Smalling, Trippier, Young
- Midfielders: Sterling, Henderson, Loftus-Cheek, Dier, Lallana, Alli, Lingard, Livermore
- Forwards: Kane, Vardy, Rashford, Welbeck
Cross had named Hart in his original squad prediction
Readers’ selection via The Daily Telegraph
- Goalkeepers: Pickford, Butland, Pope
- Defenders: Walker, Stones, Rose, Maguire, Trippier, Jones, Cahill, Bertrand
- Midfielders: Alli, Sterling, Dier, Lingard, Henderson, Wilshere, Young, Lallana, Loftus-Cheek
- Forwards: Kane, Vardy, Rashford
