When Southgate will confirm Three Lions team and who could be in line for surprise call-up with Olise, Burn and Elliott all in contention

The 2022 World Cup starts in just over eight months in Qatar and Gareth Southgate is running out of games to finalise his England squad.

The Three Lions have a vast array of talent in almost every position and Southgate must narrow that down over the course of the next few months.

We know that Southgate has relied on a core group of players who have delivered for him in two major international tournaments.

However, there are a few players that have somewhat gone under the radar this season, and you could argue all of them deserve a call-up to Southgate’s squad.

The friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast later on this month represent the perfect opportunity for Southgate to freshen up his squad and try some new names.

You really don’t envy Southgate because there are so many that he can pick from, but these five have to be in with a shout of making the squad.

The former Middlesbrough manager is set to announce his latest England squad on Thursday, March 17 at 2pm ahead of those friendlies, so will any on this list make it?

Dan Burn (Defender, Newcastle)

The giant centre-back has been a revelation since he swapped Brighton for Newcastle.

The 6ft 7 defender is from the Blyth and has supported the Toon all his life and has fitted in seamlessly at St James’ Park.

Eddie Howe’s side spent £13m on the 29-year-old and he has started all but one Premier League game since his arrival.

The Toon have conceded just four goals in the six games he has played and he has formed a mighty partnership with Fabian Schar at the back.

Burn was highly rated by the Seagulls and Graham Potter, and it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that since he has left the Amex, Brighton have won just one game and conceded 11 goals.

Another reason why Burn has to be considered by Southgate is not just because of his defensive performances but also the fact he is left-footed.

Southgate loves his team to have balance and Burn could replace Tyrone Mings as his left-footed centre-back.

Tyrick Mitchell (Defender, Crystal Palace)

Mitchell has started every Premier League match for Crystal Palace this season and the 22-year-old appears to be blossoming under Patrick Vieira’s guidance.

Mitchell is a graduate of the Palace academy and made his debut under Roy Hodgson but has gone from strength to strength this term.

The left-back has been good all campaign and has turned in a few standout displays against the likes of Tottenham, Leeds United, Norwich and Watford.

However, he has also performed brilliantly against Manchester City twice as Crystal Palace managed to stop Pep Guardiola’s side from scoring in either game.

On Monday night, Mitchell was left to deal with Riyad Mahrez and he was brilliant.

Mahrez couldn’t get past the young left-back on the outside or on the inside. What made his task even harder was that Kyle Walker was allowed to progress unchallenged to support Mahrez as Wilfried Zaha didn’t really trackback.

Despite being left on his own for most of the game, Mitchell was superb and was definitely a contender for Man of the Match.

Harvey Elliott (Midfielder, Liverpool)

England have a lot of very good options in the centre of the park, including Elliott’s Liverpool teammate Jordan Henderson.

However, these two friendlies represent an opportunity for Southgate to perhaps freshen it up.

The 18-year-old is adored by Jurgen Klopp and it appears as if he is going to have a long and successful career at Anfield.

Therefore, could now be the opportunity to start his England tenure?

The former Fulham man played in all four of the Reds’ opening league games but suffered a horrific injury to his ankle during a game with Leeds in September.

Since making his return earlier this year, he has only played five games but he has undeniable ability.

Perhaps because of his lack of game time in recent weeks, he might miss out on this England squad, but at some point, Southgate has to include Elliott and start to introduce him in preparation for the future.

Fikayo Tomori (Defender, AC Milan)

One man who might have gone unnoticed this season has been AC Milan’s Tomori.

The 24-year-old took a risk and decided to leave Chelsea permanently in the summer for a move to Italy.

Now, unlike all of the other players on this list, Tomori has two caps for the Three Lions. One came in 2019 when he was playing for the Blues and the other came earlier this season.

However, he was only used as a substitute by Southgate in a 5-0 win over Andorra.

Surely, these games would be a big opportunity for him to start and establish himself as one of England’s main centre-backs ahead of the World Cup.

The former Derby County loanee has made 22 appearances in Serie A this season. AC Milan are top of the league and Tomori has been a key part of that rise to the summit.

The Serie A giants have kept nine clean sheets with him in the side, and you have to say Tomori deserves a shot at becoming one of Southgate’s main centre-backs.