10 Big Questions Raised By England's World Cup Squad

3. And Will We Actually See Any Of Them?

Of course, it's all very well picking so many youngsters, but it'd only bear an uncomfortable echo of Sven Goran Eriksson's selection of a 17-year old Theo Walcott in 2006 'for the experience' if none of them actually got any playing time. Hodgson has packed so many inexperienced players into his squad that he'd be hard-pressed to ignore all of them, but it will be interesting to see which ones are trusted with significant time on the field and which are merely offered token cameos from the bench. Of the players listed on the previous page, Raheem Sterling seems the most likely to get starts given his excellent form for Liverpool and existing partnership with Daniel Sturridge. Hodgson will want to take advantage of having two-thirds of the deadliest front line in the Premier League at his disposal, and while Sterling may not start every game, he's certainly a strong contender given how much he's improved over the preceding season. Adam Lallana's good form has also seen him gather a groundswell of support for a starting place, but seems much more likely to be an option from the bench. England has good depth in midfield and it's hard to imagine him pushing out the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain or Rooney in the attacking central midfield role he's made his own at Southampton. Similarly, Luke Shaw seems almost certain to sit out most of this World Cup unless Leighton Baines is injured. He may get a game against Costa Rica if the team has already qualified and Baines needs a rest, but even then it seems unlikely. Ross Barkley's situation is the most difficult to ascertain, though I'd put him in a similar boat to Adam Lallana. His talent is obvious, but still raw and it'd be a risk to put him out from the start. Expect to see him off the bench whenever the team needs a more direct, physically imposing replacement for Jack Wilshere though.