Southgate's headache for the World Cup

As the current season got underway and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford continued his stunning growth in the Premier League, his place in Russia next summer appeared beyond doubt. However, a lack of starts for the Red Devils has now become cause for concern for England manager Gareth Southgate ahead of the World Cup.

The 20-year-old forward has struggled for game time and the last time he was included in Jose Mourinho's lineup was in a 2-2 draw with Burnley on Boxing Day. The Portuguese manager has often decided to start Rashford on the substitutes' bench.

He is not the only player who has found games hard to come by. While Jack Wilshere has recently returned to pulling the strings in Arsenal's midfield and his berth in Russia is a sure thing, former England No 1 Joe Hart could also miss out on a place in the World Cup squad due to being dropped by West Ham.

Players and manager are concerned as we head into the crucial months before the competition kicks off in June. Both Hart and Rashford are still in line for next month's international friendlies against Holland and Italy.