Lingard 'has to start for England'
While Tottenham's Harry Kane is certain to provide the focal point to England's attack in this year's World Cup in Russia, the identity of the players likely to support him remains uncertain less than four months from the start of the tournament.
Kane has become a national team treasure over the past three years and his remarkable goalscoring exploits have shown no signs of dipping this season, having found the net 24 times in 2017/18 to lead the Premier League scoring charts.
However, the England players tasked with supplying the Spurs striker - whether he plays as a lone attacker or in a front two - are not necessarily in prime form for their clubs.
Raheem Sterling of Manchester City is arguably leading in the way in this regard. Sterling has grown in confidence at high-flying Manchester City this season and has netted 15 goals to become the second highest English scorer in the Premier League.
Yet, the former Liverpool player hasn't always flourished on the international stage and has scored just twice for England in 35 appearances.
Similarly, neither Marcus Rashford nor Dele Alli has found their best form since Christmas.
Rashford made a real impression at the start of the season, scoring five for Manchester United by mid-September as well as a winning goal for England against Slovakia. But he has started only five games since the Manchester derby defeat in early December.
Nonetheless, still only 20, he has already featured in FA Cup and Europa League finals and can also play as a targetman if Gareth Southgate chooses to play with two strikers as he did from the start in the goalless friendly against Brazil in November.
Alli has garnered more newspaper inches this season over controversial claims about his tendency to dive to win penalties and his drop off in form has opened the door for Manchester United's Jesse Lingard to be given an opportunity in England's forthcoming World Cup warm-ups matches against the Netherlands and Italy.
Lingard's form this season gave United manager Jose Mourinho even more reason to allow Henrikh Mkhitaryan to join Arsenal during the January transfer window.
And the 25-year-old, currently on £100,000 a week at United, came off the bench to grab United's winner against Chelsea on Sunday, his 13th goal of the season, with only Romelu Lukaku (22) scoring more for Manchester United this term.
Indeed, his header against the current Premier League champions was his 10th goal in his past 18 appearances, and his performances since November have led him to the top of the England manager's thoughts.
"Lingard might not be able to get into the United side, but he should be nailed on for England," former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas told BBC Sport. "He is at the point now where he has to start for Gareth Southgate's side at this summer's World Cup.
"When you watch what he is doing and the positions he picks up, you notice the intelligence that he shows - not only on the ball but with the runs that he makes off it.
"He brings so much to the United attack when he plays, either on the right or more centrally behind the centre forward."
Another former England midfielder Frank Lampard picked out Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance in Liverpool's 4-1 win over West Ham, claiming that he is also forcing himself into Southgate's reckoning as an attacking midfielder.
Lampard said on Match of the Day: "The second half he came into his own. He gets a slight bit of fortune to create the goal for [Mohamed] Salah but he deserved it because he stayed in the game, stayed on the ball.
"This is what England midfielders need to do more: go the extra mile, arrive in the box. He's got the extra capacity to do that."
Marc Fox