We’ve already shown you which English players are performing best in this year’s fantasy league rankings, but how are Roy Hodgson’s favourites getting on?
Using the bookies’ most likely starting XI, we’ve compared the likely picks with the highest points scorers to see just how far off the pace some players are when it comes to the rigidity of points for goals, assists and clean sheets.
Injuries play a part, of course, but it’s entertaining to see how the two line-ups compare.
Goalkeeper – Joe Hart
England’s number one is also a regular starter for Manchester City, so he’s as close to the top as you’re likely to get.
But the absence of Vincent Kompany has meant Manuel Pellegrini’s side haven’t been as defensively solid as in the past, and Hart falls just short of his back-up at international level, Stoke City’s Jack Butland.
Points:Â 100
Comparable to:Â David De Gea (100)
Top-Scoring Englishman:Â Jack Butland – 115
Right-back – Nathaniel Clyne
Liverpool’s defensive record under both Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp has been mixed to say the least, with 36 goals conceded putting the Reds on a par with neighbours Everton.
Clyne’s attacking instincts have served him reasonably well and ensured he is the highest-scoring Liverpool defender this season, but he lags behind some of his counterparts from newly-promoted Watford and Bournemouth.
Points: 80
Comparable to:Â Adam Smith (79)
Top-Scoring Englishman:Â Craig Dawson – 100
Left-back – Ryan Bertrand
The left-back spot is very much up for grabs this summer, with Bertrand competing with the likes of Danny Rose, Leighton Baines and (if he recovers ahead of schedule) Luke Shaw for a starting place.
The former Chelsea man missed games early on in the season through injury, with Matt Targett a familiar face in August, but in recent weeks Ronald Koeman has included both Englishmen in a rapidly improving back-line.
Points:Â 81
Comparable to:Â Wes Morgan (81)
Top-Scoring Englishman:Â Charlie Daniels (111)
Centre-back – Gary Cahill
Cahill’s almost inevitable inclusion in Hodgson’s squad seems surprising, given that he has been far from first choice at club level this season, but injuries to Kurt Zouma and John Terry will allow him to play his way into form.
The 30-year-old was used sparingly in December and January as Guus Hiddink worked out his preferred starting XI, and Chelsea have been far from solid defensively under either the Dutchman or his predecessor Jose Mourinho, explaining Cahill’s underwhelming points tally.
Points:Â 38
Comparable to:Â Marcos Rojo (38)
Top-Scoring Englishman:Â Scott Dann (110)
Centre-back – Chris Smalling
In contrast to Cahill, Smalling has very much been a regular for his club, and most of Manchester United’s defensive positives this season can be attributed to the former Fulham centre-back.
In fact, only top-scorer Scott Dann has more points than Smalling when it comes to English centre-backs, and only a handful of centre-backs full stop (Toby Alderweireld, Jose Fonte and Laurent Koscielny) have outscored him.
Points:100
Comparable to:Â Craig Dawson (100)
Top-Scoring Englishman:Â Scott Dann (110)
Central Midfielders – Dele Alli, James Milner and Jordan Henderson
One year ago, Alli was on loan at MK Dons in League 1, so for him to be considered an automatic pic on the level of Milner and Henderson gives a good indication of his development under Mauricio Pochettino.
Milner has often occupied a more advanced role than that which we can expect him to fill at international level, while Henderson’s season has been derailed by injuries, explaining the disparity in the Liverpool pair’s points totals.
Points:Â 118 (Alli), 99 (Milner), 53 (Henderson)
Comparable to:Â Dimitri Payet (117), Philippe Coutinho (97), Nemanja Matic (53)
Top-Scoring Englishmen:Â Dele Alli (118), James Milner (99), Danny Drinkwater (90)
Attacking Midfielders – Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley
As with the central players, the top-scoring Englishman is also one of those who the bookies consider most likely to make the squad, with Barkley outscoring every Premier League midfielder with the exception of Riyad Mahrez and Mesut Özil.
£49m man Sterling, in contrast, has only impressed in fits and starts as Kevin de Bruyne has become Manchester City’s main man. The October hat-trick against Bournemouth turned out to be an anomaly, rather than the start of something bigger.
Points:Â 137 (Barkley), 84 (Sterling)
Comparable to:Â Christian Eriksen (127), Nathan Redmond (83)
Top-Scoring Englishmen:Â Ross Barkley (137), Marc Albrighton (92)
Forward – Wayne Rooney
If we’re assuming England begin the tournament with a 4-2-3-1 formation, their captain may ultimately be used behind Harry Kane. But for the purposes of this selection we’ll consider the Manchester United man to play as a number nine.
Injuries and long spells of just not being very good have seen Rooney trail a number of his compatriots, yet somehow his points tally seems relatively impressive given the makeup of his season.
Points:Â 94
Comparable to:Â Jermain Defoe (92)
Top-Scoring Englishman:Â Jamie Vardy (170).
