The first international break of the season is upon us, and with it comes another chance for Gareth Southgate to assess his options ahead of next summer’s European Championships.

Two favourable qualifiers on home soil should provide a good base from which Southgate can rotate his players without seeing performance levels drop significantly. Much was made about Kyle Walker’s omission from the squad in favour of the uncapped Aaron Wan Bissaka, But with Wan Bissaka now having pulled out through injury Southgate’s experiment at right-back will have to wait at least a few months.

Both players have made impressive starts to the new campaign and with age on the side of the former Crystal Palace full-back, it is a decision that will pay dividends in the near future as Southgate looks to avoid complacency and future proof his side post-2020. Whilst Wan Bissaka’s late withdrawal will ensure more game time for Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose stellar performances for Liverpool last season saw his stock rise exponentially.

There are also returns to the squad for Harry Winks, a midfielder playing well within his means and one who could benefit from utilising his expansive passing on a more regular basis, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain makes his long-awaited return to the England set-up after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Other notable additions to the squad include Chelsea’s Mason Mount, who has cemented his place in Frank Lampard’s new-look team with a spurt of goals towards the back end of August, as well as Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings whose inclusion provides a little less optimism considering The Villains’s slow start to the campaign and questionable defensive numbers. Leicester’s James Maddison has also made the successful transition from U-21’s football to the senior squad, following the continuation of the form he displayed towards the backend of last season.

Here is our predicted England XI…