10 Big Questions Raised By England's World Cup Squad

7. Who Will Be Our Starting Midfielders?

We can be sure that Gerrard is a guaranteed starter for England barring injury, but the identity of those who will be playing alongside him remains an unknown factor. In England's last competitive game, against Poland in October 2013, Gerrard played alongside Michael Carrick, who is not in Hodgson's first choice squad, and Andros Townsend, absent altogether. Subsequent friendlies against Denmark, Germany and Chile saw a variety of midfield combinations used as Hodgson took the opportunity to experiment. Let's assume Hodgson will play in the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formations previously mentioned, in which case there will be two further midfield slots to be filled. For the sake of optimism, let's assume Gerrard will adopt the deeper role he has been playing for Liverpool, meaning the other two midfielders will be slightly more forward-thinking. Jack Wilshere seems an extremely likely choice as Hodgson has spoken positively about him in the past as a key player for England. The remaining position will likely be contested by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Jordan Henderson depending on whether Hodgson wishes to emphasize midfield solidity or offensive threat. Adam Lallana could be a wild card in the No.10 role of the 4-2-3-1, but will most likely join Frank Lampard and Ross Barkley on the bench. My problem here is with Wilshere, who is coming off a succession of injuries and has not played particularly well during his time on the field this season. The playing conditions in Brazil will require huge physical exertion and it remains to be seen whether Wilshere is up to it. Fielding an unfit player, no matter how talented, is always a major risk and Wilshere can appear fragile even when fully fit. There's no doubt as to his potential, but this may not be the right stage for him, especially when the indefatigable Jordan Henderson is in such a rich vein of form and has shown such a strong understanding with Gerrard.