There weren't many surprises when Gareth Southgate announced his England squad for the World Cup on Thursday afternoon.
The only real curveball the Three Lions boss threw was to include Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, likely at the expense of one of Roma's Tammy Abraham or Brentford's Ivan Toney. By and large, it was a predictable 26-man squad and Southgate is set to follow his tried-and-tested five-at-the-back formula which served him well at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and Euro 2020 last summer.
The former tournament saw England exceed expectations and capture the imagination of the nation with a run to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by Croatia in extra time. Attention quickly turned to whether the Three Lions could go one better in four-and-a-half years' time, or even win the trophy for the first time since 1966.
Those who chanced their hand at predicting the XI which would start in Qatar this winter will be pleasantly surprised to see many of their selections make the squad. However, there are four players which were not close to making the cut, which few could have foreseen back in 2018.
Here, Mirror Football takes a look at England's predicted XI for the Qatar World Cup in 2018.
Jordan Pickford
He only made his England debut one year earlier, but the Everton goalkeeper established himself as his country's No.1 and shone at the 2018 World Cup.
His brilliant acrobatic save against Colombia in the last 16 and subsequent stop in the penalty shootout were particular highlights. After another fine showing at Euro 2020, Pickford is sure to start between the sticks in Qatar.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
One player less certain of a starting role is Liverpool right-back Alexander-Arnold, but he has been included in Southgate's squad.
The Merseyside native earned his first England caps in 2018 and played against Belgium in the World Cup group stage, coming into the tournament after helping the Reds reach the Champions League final in Kiev.
Since bursting onto the scene, Alexander-Arnold has won every trophy available to him and his brilliance on the ball is indisputable, but there are serious concerns over his defensive ability and it would be a surprise to see him start in the Middle East this winter.
Should Trent Alexander-Arnold start in Qatar? Have your say in the comments!
Joe Gomez
While Alexander-Arnold will board the plane to Qatar, there is no room for his Anfield teammate.
Gomez also played an important role in Liverpool's run to the Champions League final in 2018 - and their subsequent European and Premier League triumphs - but missed the World Cup in Russia through injury. In recent seasons, injuries have continued to be a major issue and his inconsistency, however good he is on his day, means the 25-year-old has been out of the England frame for two years.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker appears likely to occupy the right centre-back role in Gomez's absence, with Arsenal's Benjamin White another option.
John Stones
The City centre-back memorably scored a double as England thrashed Panama 6-1 in the group stage in Russia, and he remains a key player heading into the Qatar tournament.
The proud owner of 59 caps, the first of which came in 2014, Stones' experience will be important if England are to go far at this year's World Cup.
Harry Maguire
He may be a man in the spotlight for the wrong reasons over the last 18 months, but rarely has Maguire let his country down.
The Manchester United captain, then plying his trade with Leicester, opened the scoring in the 2018 quarter-final against Sweden and also grabbed a goal in the last-eight clash with Ukraine at Euro 2020. Despite his poor form at club level, Southgate insists Maguire is of England's best centre-backs, and he appears primed to start in Qatar.
Ryan Sessegnon
Then a prodigious teenage talent at Fulham, Sessegnon was tipped for a very bright future in 2018.
The versatile wideman scored 15 Championship goals in the 2017/18 season, leading many to believe he could develop into a mainstay in the England set-up. Things have not gone to plan, however, as the 22-year-old is yet to earn his first Three Lions cap and continues to play a bit-part role for Tottenham, whom he joined in a £25million transfer in 2019.
Dele Alli
It has been a sad fall from grace for a player who burst onto the scene with Tottenham and was dubbed a world-beater.
On the back of a 14-goal season, the gifted playmaker was named in the England squad for the 2018 World Cup and doubled their lead in the quarter-final victory over Sweden. However, his club form nosedived in the years that followed and a mid-season switch to Everton in January this year fell flat.
He is spending this season on loan at Besiktas and has not made an appearance for his country since 2019.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
It would be easy to forget Loftus-Cheek was a member of England's 2018 World Cup squad after a fine season on loan at Crystal Palace.
The Chelsea midfielder has 10 caps to his name but the last of these came four years ago and, in truth, he was not in the frame to travel to Qatar. The 26-year-old is playing regularly for the Blues under Graham Potter but lacks a clearly-defined role, while his end product has also been underwhelming.
Phil Foden
A member of the England team which won the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, Foden has well and truly lived up to his wonderkid billing.
A key player in Pep Guardiola's dominant City side, Foden had to wait until 2020 for his first England cap and has earned 17 more since then. The 22-year-old may be hopeful of starting in Qatar but faces stern competition from the likes of Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka and Mason Mount.
Harry Kane
Who saw this one coming?
Kane needs no introduction, be it at club or international level. The Tottenham talisman is one of the finest strikers in world football and plundered six goals in Russia to win the Golden Boot.
England fans will be hoping he scores the three goals - and some more, ideally - he needs to break Wayne Rooney's record Three Lions tally of 53 in Qatar.
Marcus Rashford
Remarkably, the Manchester United forward has not pulled on an England shirt in 2022 due to his poor form for his club.
But a recent resurgence - scoring eight goals in 18 appearances this season - was enough for Rashford to force his way into Southgate's plans. He is unlikely to start but will play an important role providing depth in attack, as well as bringing plenty of tournament experience having been named in the squads for Euro 2016, the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.
