5 Players who might not make England's World Cup Squad ( Part 2) 

Picking a 23-man squad for the World Cup is a tricky thing to do for every national team manager and it is a tricky time period for players as well.

In addition to that, the England manager's job is arguably the most scrutinised job in world football and the former England U-21 manager, Gareth Southgate, faces a complicated situation given the number of options he has to choose from.

While having a lot of options to choose from is helpful, Southgate will have to narrow the number of players down to 23 for the World Cup in Russia.

The process of elimination of players to narrow the squad will leave a few players heartbroken.

The competition for places in every position will create a problem for the manager, who will have to sort out the squad, based on the players' club performances this season and the value they bring to the national team setup.

Here we take look at five players who might not make the England World squad.

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#5 Danny Drinkwater

Former Manchester United and Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater secured a move to defending Premier League champions Chelsea earlier this season. However, the Englishman has found it hard to establish himself in the starting eleven.

It could be an issue for the player as Gareth Southgate has strongly urged the players to push for a starting berth at their respective clubs to be in strong contention for a place in the World Cup squad.

With Antonio Conte rotating his central midfield players in every game, still looking to find the best partnership in the middle of the park, Drinkwater could be left out of another major tournament squad.

With a strong second half of the season, the former Premier League winner with Leicester could push for a spot with some strong performances for the Blues. A robust central midfielder with great energy and determination in the middle of the park, Drinkwater will be eager to secure a place in the squad especially after missing out on Euro 2016.

#4 Jermain Defoe

Defoe will be eager to make another major tournament appearance

Having played for numerous Premier League clubs and with a great number of goals to his name, Defoe has earned a fierce reputation over the years for being a clinical finisher.

However, since Defoe moved to Bournemouth from Sunderland, the number of goals and appearances made by the veteran striker has substantially reduced.

Defoe moved back to Bournemouth at the start of the season and has slowly found his feet after a tough start to life, under Eddie Howe.

It took the striker a while to adapt into his new surroundings and will have to deliver quality performances till the end of the season to ensure his club's safety and a spot in the year's World Cup squad.

The England international made his debut for England in 2004 and he will be itching for a place in Gareth Southgate's 2018 World Cup squad.

In what could be his last stint with the national team at a tournament, Defoe will find it hard to break into the team given Marcus Rasshford, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge are all available for selection.

#3 Ashley Young

Young celebrates a goal for United against Watford

England and Manchester United player, Ashley Young has transformed his game, under Jose Mourinho, from a winger to an attacking full-back and has put in some key shifts for his club and manager.

A versatile player with great experience, Young is having an excellent season but could yet miss out on a berth in the national team squad for the WC.

Capable of playing on any side of the wing, as a fullback or a winger, Young provides options for a manager that only a few players in the world can. However, with players such as Danny Rose, Ryan Bertrand, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier all available for selection, he could well miss out.

With Luke Shaw, Aaron Cresswell and a few others also pushing for a place in the setup, the former Villa man will need to continue his great form from the first half of the season to completely convince Gareth Southgate to select him.

#2 Fabian Delph

Delph battles Can for the ball

Manchester City's stand-in left-back for the majority of the Premier League campaign thus far has been former Villa player, Fabian Delph. Having done a decent job for Guardiola and the club, Delph, just like Young, is a versatile player but with the ability to play in the middle of the park.

The Cityzens have been the team to beat this season and with just a single loss all season in the league, Delph and his defensive unit must be given a lot of credit.

With a number of minutes to his name and good performances with it, Southgate will strongly consider the services of the calm player, going into the World Cup.

Delph faces a strong battle for positions both at left back and in central midfield and could be left out of the setup given the number of options Southgate has at his disposal.

Leaving the player out will be a hard decision for the manager, given the player's great run of form but the manager could opt to choose regulars who have been part of the England squad before.

#1 Theo Walcott

Walcott enjoys a calm moment during his time in the national team

English and Everton attacking player Theo Walcott joined the Blue side of Merseyside from Arsenal a few days ago. After struggling to find form at Arsenal this season, the move to Everton might turn out to be a great one for the player and the club in the second half of the season.

Poor performances and lack of creative penetrating play as a winger saw Walcott lose his place in Arsenal's starting eleven. Since the start of the season, he has failed to create an impact in any of his appearances. With the 2018 WC fast approaching, Walcott is not even in contention to be picked in Gareth Southgate's squad.

The 28-year-old has prior national team experience but will need a string of spellbinding performances at Everton before he could be considered to be picked for England.

Despite a lot of fans hurling abuse at the player, Walcott does have the ability and mindset to come back from the position he finds himself in and Allardyce could help revive the player's international career.