It seems reasonably safe to assume that West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen is in a battle with Arsenal’s Noni Madueke for a spot behind Bukayo Saka in the England squad.
Assuming that Saka – despite a reasonably poor season at club level on an individual basis – starts for England, it looks like a shootout between club teammate Madueke and West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen for a support role on the right.
Will Jarrod Bowen make England’s World Cup squad? 🏆
Tell us why in the comments…
There is, of course, a chance that all three players are included in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup later this summer, but the competition for places is fierce.
Indeed, Bowen replaced the injured Madueke during England’s draw with Uruguay on Friday night, on a night where not many of Tuchel’s players particularly impressed.
Here’s how the two players compared.
Madueke proves slightly better than Bowen for England
Clearly, the caveat that Bowen played more minutes does need to be taken into account.
Madueke went off with an injury in the 38th minute, having created one chance, completing one dribble and winning one of his five duels.
| England vs Uruguay statistics | Jarrod Bowen | Noni Madueke |
| Minutes played | 52 | 38 |
| Touches | 25 | 20 |
| Accurate passes | 9/11 | 11/12 |
| Chances created | 0 | 1 |
| Touches in opposition box | 3 | 5 |
| Successful dribbles | 0 | 1 |
| Defensive contributions | 4 | 1 |
| Duels won | 2/7 | 1/4 |
Bowen fared slightly better on the defensive front but did not match Madueke’s attacking output, although there wasn’t much in it.
It would be fair to say that neither proved absolute standouts, although the fact they were playing against a Uruguayan side who defended very deep does need to be taken into account.
Madueke injury could open door for Bowen
Saka will almost certainly play against Japan on Tuesday but perhaps Bowen can make a further case to impress there.
That’s because Madueke was seen leaving Wembley wearing a knee brace, which may place his involvement in Tuesday’s game in doubt.
On club form, it should be Bowen all day. He has scored more goals than both Arsenal players this season, despite playing in a worse team.
Still, Bowen has been largely overlooked by Tuchel for England so far, and club form isn’t always rewarded on the international stage.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
