Jonjo Shelvey has had to wait to add to his current haul of England caps, but performing for Newcastle in the coming weeks could present an opening.
After sealing qualification for the World Cup on Thursday – and clearing the November international window of any potential play-off – England quickly announced high-profile friendlies against Germany and Brazil.
International friendlies have a detrimental impact on the oft-overlooked, yet crucial, FIFA rankings, but there are benefits for players and managers.
Gareth Southgate will surely use the opportunity to assess fringe men – he has already handed Jack Butland a start against Lithuania – and these same players will be determined to win a regular place.
For Jonjo Shelvey, a supreme talent who was not included for these latest qualifiers, those two matches represent a huge opportunity to regain a place in the squad.
The Newcastle United midfielder has suffered through his own stupidity, with a red card limiting him to two Premier League starts this season.
And yet he must still have been frustrated to see Harry Winks bizarrely promoted to the senior squad, despite a lack of minutes for Tottenham Hotspur. Even worse for the Magpie, Winks impressed in the 1-0 win as a more forward thinking central midfielder.
Newcastle have both Shelvey and captain Jamaal Lascelles harbouring realistic hopes of an England call-up, but the latter – as a centre-back tied to a new long-term contract – has much more time on his hands.
Shelvey must deliver consistently for Rafa Benitez’s men in the next month and take advantage of the dearth of quality options in Southgate’s midfield.
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