Ranked: The likelihood of international call-ups for uncapped England hopefuls

With Gareth Southgate set to announce his latest squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifying double header against Bulgaria and Kosovo, changes are expected from his previous selection.

Eric Dier, Fabian Delph and Dele Alli haven’t featured at all in the Premier League thus far, while there are calls for the likes of Jesse Lingard and Michael Keane to be axed.

In turn we’ve had a go at ranking the uncapped Englishmen that could be in Southgate’s thinking, if not for the coming weeks then the campaign as a whole. We’ve done so in terms of those we feel may be most likely to force their way in, as well as the players each could be competing with for a place.

8. Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal) - 7.29 rating

While Maitland-Niles’ name has really been brought up much in terms of the England picture, the Arsenal youngster’s versatility is something Southgate would certainly value. Despite spending much of his time in the Gunners first team as a makeshift right-back - performing admirably in Hector Bellerin’s absence - the 21-year-old’s favoured position is midfield and there could well be places up for grabs in that regard before long. It’s too early in all likelihood for Maitland-Niles to come into the reckoning now, but if he can keep his place under Unai Emery then the likes of Fabian Delph could come under threat.

7. Hamza Choudhury (Leicester) - 6.69 rating

Given the abundance of quality in midfield at Brendan Rodgers’ disposal, many will have been surprised to see Choudhury start all three matches this season but he is a player that the Foxes boss rates highly. That much was clear at the tail end of last season when the youngster was a regular fixture against strong opposition in particular and with Eric Dier fading into obscurity at Tottenham, there could yet be a place for another holding midfielder in the squad.

6. Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) - 7.42 rating

It’s becoming increasingly apparent that Harry Maguire is England’s first choice centre-back nowadays but beyond the Manchester United star there is real competition with regards to who should partner him. John Stones is still not a guaranteed starter at Manchester City and neither is Joe Gomez at Liverpool, while Mings has become a real leader in a short space of time at Villa. A key figure in a ten-match winning streak that steered the club back to the top-flight, the former Bournemouth defender has picked up where he left off with some dominant displays and will certainly have Michael Keane’s spot in his sights.

5. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) - 6.99 rating

Unlike his aforementioned teammate, as yet Grealish hasn’t transferred his superb form in the Championship into the top tier but he remains a player very much on Gareth Southgate’s radar. The England boss stated earlier this year that the Villa playmaker needed to be playing Premier League football to be considered, so he will be being monitored closely and if his performances improve then a call-up may not be too long coming. An ability to play in central midfield, behind the striker or from the left will make him a threat to Ross Barkley in particular.

4. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) - 8.12 rating

A player whose name has been mentioned relatively fleetingly in terms of international recognition in the past - even taking the liking of Austria before it was revealed he didn’t possess an Austrian passport - Barnes’ early season form is unavoidable. Only Raheem Sterling and Teemu Pukki (both five) have scored more goals after three Premier League matches than the Burnley man (four), who has mustered the most shots in the league in that time (13). Goalless Callum Wilson will certainly have one eye on the Clarets’ striker’s exploits.

3. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United) - 7.20 rating

Expected to earn his first senior call-up in Thursday’s squad announcement, Wan-Bissaka has only had to wait this long due to the incredible competition for places at right-back. In truth he’s unlikely to displace to likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold or Kyle Walker anytime soon, but Southgate recognises that the new United signing is a talent that can’t be overlooked regardless. Walker could be considered at centre-back, while Southgate would no doubt be interested to see if any of the three could adapt to play on the opposite side of the pitch, with Danny Rose no longer guaranteed a spot these days.

2. James Maddison (Leicester) - 7.50 rating

Another player tipped to make the latest squad, while Maddison has been called up in the past the Leicester star is yet to be capped at senior international level. That may soon be about to change given the ease with which he continues to take top-flight football in his stride and creativity in open play has been something of an issue for England under Southgate. With that in mind - and the assist numbers that continue to do the rounds regarding Jesse Lingard - the Manchester United man isn’t the only player whose place could soon come under threat.

1. Mason Mount (Chelsea) - 7.73 rating

While many questioned whether Mount was really good enough to make a big impact at Chelsea this season, well-taken goals in back-to-back games have gone some way to silencing any doubters. Southgate is known to be a big fan of the Chelsea youngster, whose ability to pick up scoring positions from midfield - firing off 12 shots in three games thus far - has been likened to that of his manager Frank Lampard. Rewind three years and it would be unthinkable that Dele Alli would miss out on England duty, and while the Spurs star may do so due to injury this time around, he’ll face a real struggle to regain his place should Mount’s fine start continue.