Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hopes of making it to the England squad for the World Cup this summer have more or less suffered a hammer blow.
The 28-year-old Leeds United striker made his first England appearance in more than five years when he came on from the bench in the 1-1 draw against Uruguay on Thursday night.
Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, wanted to have a look at the forward before making a decision on the 26-man squad he wants to take to North America in the next couple of months.
However, it is now almost certain that the striker is unlikely to be in the England squad that will fly out to the World Cup following an official decision on Saturday.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s World Cup hopes crash
Calvert-Lewin didn’t impress in an England shirt on Tuesday night, and he carried his recent dip in form to the international stage.
The Leeds forward missed a sitter when he headed the ball wide from a few yards, and it seems that miss made up Tuchel’s mind about him.
The 28-year-old striker was one of the nine players who were asked to leave the England set-up on Saturday as the manager seeks to work with a smaller squad ahead of the friendly against Japan.
Calvert-Lewin didn’t make the cut for the 26 that will prepare for the next game, and it is certain that he is now unlikely to feature in the World Cup squad.
He was not expected to play for England again following a horror run in the last few years. However, his performances at Leeds rekindled hopes, and he wore the national colours again.
However, it seems Calvert-Lewin’s 12th cap for England is likely to be his last unless something dramatic happens.
Leeds need him back in form soon
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s World Cup dream is over, but Leeds still need him to return to form as they push to secure Premier League safety.
He has netted 10 goals in the Premier League this season, but has not scored since early February. He has missed some great chances in recent games, including putting a penalty wide against Crystal Palace.
| Player | Dominic Calvert-Lewin |
|---|---|
| Club | Leeds United |
| Competition | Premier League |
| Appearances | 28 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 |
| Red Cards | 0 |
| Minutes Played | 2,121 |
Leeds need him to fire soon, as scoring goals has become a major problem, and they may need as many as seven points from their last seven games to secure safety.
Calvert-Lewin will have to get over his England disappointment soon and return to his best for Leeds to keep them in the Premier League.
