Peter Crouch Names Marcus Rashford And Jadon Sancho In His Preferred England Squad For The World Cup

Former England striker Peter Crouch has included Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in his preferred squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

England boss Gareth Southgate has some difficult decisions to make ahead of the tournament, which begins on November 21, with there set to be fierce competition for places in his squad.

Rashford and Sancho face a battle to be on the plane to Qatar after they were dropped for last month’s friendlies against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast.

But Crouch, who scored 22 goals in 42 appearances for England, believes both players should be included in Southgate's final squad for the tournament.

Speculating over potential selection headaches for the England boss, Crouch wrote in The Daily Mail: “The biggest is Harry Kane's understudy.

“Tammy Abraham is a shout, a possible wildcard given what he has produced at Roma, as is Ollie Watkins.

“You only need one of those guys behind Kane to offer something different to the rest. But Dominic Calvert-Lewin edges this presently as he loves to attack the sort of crosses our wide men whip in.

“As we sit here now I would also choose Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, on reputation more than anything and a lack of options beneath them.

Crouch believes Rashford and Sancho should be on the plane to Qatar (Image: PA)

“If Emile Smith-Rowe is banging them in at Arsenal next season he goes ahead of them, but beyond that there is not quite the depth.”

Crouch believes England could play a back three at the tournament, which would allow Southgate to include Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James in his squad.

“Harry Maguire has never let England down either and could benefit from England persisting with a back three,” Crouch added.

“I'd go with Kyle Walker on the right of that three personally. It allows us to choose the best trio of right backs as well, with both Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold allotted places on Crouch Tours.

Crouch says England boss Gareth Southgate should play a back three in Qatar (Image: PA)

“All three are versatile and there are few better in world football.”

FIFA is expected to announce that team squads for the World Cup will be expanded to 26 for the tournament in Qatar and Crouch has named Ben White and Conor Gallagher as the two players to benefit, if the change is confirmed.

England will come up against the United States, Iran and one of either Scotland, Wales or Ukraine in Group B, and Crouch believes the Three Lions will have no problem reaching the knockout stage of the tournament.

“England should breeze through and will not be scared of anybody,” he added.

“France are the only really menacing opposition. You'd prefer to avoid them and it's not ideal that a worst-case scenario could see us play them in the quarter-finals. Let's not think about that.”

Peter Crouch’s 24-man England squad

Goalkeepers: Aaron Ramsdale, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope

Defenders: Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Conor Coady, Luke Shaw, Ben Chilwell

Midfielders: Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Mason Mount

Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho

Extra two: Conor Gallagher, Ben White

Possible wildcards: Emile Smith-Rowe, James Maddison