The Premier League uncapped XI features Morgan Rogers and a Liverpool midfield
When even Eddie Nketiah has an England cap, Liam Delap must have a chance. And that centre-back pairing is brilliant…
GOALKEEPER: Mads Hermansen (Leicester City, not Denmark)
One of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers so far this season, Hermansen has sat on the Denmark bench for 18 months and largely watched Kasper Schmeichel and occasionally Union Berlin’s Frederik Rønnow. Equalling a Premier League record with 13 saves v Arsenal should make his case for at least a Nations League bow. Come on Lars Knudsen, have a heart.
RIGHT-BACK: Tino Livramento (Newcastle United, not England)
Very lucky indeed to get a call-up in the absence of Ezri Konsa after losing his Newcastle place to Kieran Trippier and finding himself in the hinterland of Carabao Cup duty. But England can never have enough right-backs who can do a job at left-back so Livramento continues to be teased, before he decides whether he might quite like to play for Scotland, actually.
CENTRE-BACK: Sven Botman (Newcastle United, not Netherlands)
After finally making it back to the Dutch bench last summer – after almost three years – for the Nations League finals, Botman’s knee kept him out of last year’s autumn internationals. And then he suffered an ACL injury in March that has again delayed his first Dutch cap, being forced to watch at home as Matthijs de Ligt is hauled off for his own good.
CENTRE-BACK: Murillo (Nottingham Forest, not Brazil)
“I’m taking it in quite slowly but it has always been my dream to play for the Brazil national team ever since I was playing at youth level. I will leave that to the hands of God. If the call-up comes, I will grab it with teeth and nails.”
He’s excellent; grab him back Dorival Jnr.
LEFT-BACK: Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa, not Netherlands)
What’s odder? That Maatsen started the Champions League final in June but he is yet to start a Premier League game this season for Aston Villa? Or that his exploits at Dortmund have not yet earned him a cap for the Netherlands? He did at least sit on the bench at Euro 2024, though Nathan Ake will take some shifting from that left-back spot.
CENTRE MIDFIELD: Curtis Jones (Liverpool, not England)
A beneficiary of Kobbie Mainoo’s withdrawal, Jones is lucky that he forced his way into Liverpool’s starting XI at Crystal Palace after Arne Slot finally lost patience with Dominik Szoboszlai. Not that Jones was particularly impressive at Selhurst Park; it’s just that England cannot be too choosy when it comes to central midfielders.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool, not England)
It’s got to sting a little that Jones has edged ahead of him when Elliott is probably the more purely talented footballer, but a broken foot is currently keeping him out of action for Liverpool and also preventing Lee Carsley calling up one of his England Under-21 favourites.
RIGHT WING: Solly March (Brighton, not England)
Back in March 2023, March was so close to a call-up that Gareth Southgate was asked the question when he named his England squad, but a serious knee injury suffered in October 2023 put paid to any lingering hopes of a late-career boost. But until Brajan Gruda or Luis Guilherme do anything significant, we’re sticking with March in this side.
ATTACKING MIDFIELD: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa, not England)
The shock omission from the latest England squad, if indeed there was one. Lee Carsley was asked specifically about Rogers, explaining that “the players who have been left out all have a case to be in” and “it’s nothing to do with form,” which is handy because few are in a better #moment than the Aston Villa forward. What a player. And he’s just beaten Bayern Munich.
He made it into our England snub XI.
LEFT WING: Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa, not England)
Unai Emery started that Champions League win over actual Bayern Munich with an English front four of Ramsey, Rogers and Jaden Philogene behind Ollie Watkins. “He is a potentially big, big player in Aston Villa and England,” says Emery, who ensured the club resisted attention from Newcastle and Tottenham in the summer as they eyed a PSR bargain.
STRIKER: Liam Delap (Ipswich Town, not England)
Four Premier League goals in your first seven games is a madness. It’s little more than a year since Delap made his first England Under-21 start but a full call-up cannot be far away. If Eddie Nketiah can become an England international…
