Player Focus: Same Old England - Who Has Hodgson Overlooked?

England go into a double-header of friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil with a threadbare squad to choose from and Roy Hodgson bemoaning a number of close season friendlies putting strain on some of his players.

It was the manager's choice, however, not to use the opportunity to offer experience to those on the fringes, with only Reading keeper Alex McCarthy in line for a potential debut. There was also a late call-up for fit again Jack Rodwell to replace the injured Tom Cleverley, but elsewhere the squad is entirely familiar.

In this piece WhoScored.com looks at the best rated English players over the course of last season, compiling an XI of those to have made at least 20 appearances in the 2012/13 Premier League. As well as our suggested squad, we'll highlight the best team that Hodgson has available based on those selected for the upcoming friendlies.

Of all the keepers in the Premier League to make at least 20 appearances last season, ten rank before any Englishmen in WhoScored's ratings, with Ben Foster (6.75) having the edge over Joe Hart (6.59). The latter's place in goal seemed set in stone for the years to come but a below par season led Hodgson to ask Foster to reconsider his international retirement - ironically a decision he made due to a lack of opportunities with the City man ahead of him in the pecking order.

The shirt still seems to be Hart's to lose, and with the emergence of Alex McCarthy, the itchy scalped stopper may be sitting a little less comfortable. The 23 year old Reading keeper gets an honourable mention here, as in the 13 games he has played this season, an average rating of 7.16 is by far the best in the league, with Simon Mignolet his closest rival on 7.01.

At right-back, the more experienced Glen Johnson (7.25) gets the nod over Kyle Walker (7.12), with the Spurs man having pulled out of the squad due to injury, while Villa's Matt Lowton (7.10) is just behind. Johnson finished the season with greater averages than Walker for tackles (2.5 to 2.3), dribbles (1.7 to 0.7) and shots (1.5 to 0.9), picking up a goal and 4 assists for his troubles.

On the opposite flank, Leighton Baines (7.39) picked up a far superior rating to Ashley Cole (6.85) and many now feel that it is time the Everton man took over at left-back. Baines created more chances for teammates than any other player in England's top flight last season (116), as well as completing more accurate crosses (106) than anyone else.

Another area in the team where there seems likely to be a change of the guard is at centre back. With Terry and Ferdinand both having retired from the international scene there are places up for grabs, with Phil Jagielka (7.17) the most worthy according to last season's ratings. The Everton man is just ahead of Tottenham's Michael Dawson (7.08), who was not called up to the squad, with Gary Cahill a close third (7.05).

Of the trio, Jagielka comes out on top in terms of both tackles (1.8) and interceptions (2.3) per game, while Dawson leads the way by some distance when it comes to clearances (10) per match. Meanwhile, with an excellent 88.4% pass accuracy and 72% aerial success rate, Cahill perhaps stakes the strongest claim to partner the Toffees' defender in the back line.

Theo Walcott had a very encouraging season despite falling out of favour early on, and was one of only 5 Premier League players to register double figures for both goals (14) and assists (10). Despite making his desperation to move into a central striker role clear for his club, the 24 year old looks set to keep a wide berth for England, with options on the wing looking limited at senior level right now.

One need only look to the returning problem on England's left flank to see their issues with width, with Stewart Downing the best rated option according to WhoScored ratings, with an unsurprising team low rating of 6.98 here. The much maligned Liverpool man has improved for the Reds this term, ranking among the league's top 20 for both key passes (2.2) and accurate crosses (1.3) per game, but Hodgson didn't see his efforts worthy of a call-up. Instead, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who started just 11 league games, is the only natural option in his squad to line-up on the left side.

It's more likely, however, that either James Milner (6.99) or perhaps even Daniel Sturridge will get the nod in a 4-3-3 formation, but either way there is certainly a place in the team up for grabs.

In the heart of the midfield, captain Steven Gerrard's absence will surely be felt, with the Liverpool skipper having one of his best seasons in some years on the domestic front. His WhoScored rating of 7.52 was the best of all Englishman playing in the Premier League, with Everton's Leon Osman (7.20) the next top rated midfielder. The latter was another to be overlooked by Hodgson, who has just three central midfielders at his disposal ahead of Wednesday night.

Frank Lampard should start in Gerrard's place, earning a rating of 7.06 over the course of last season. No compatriot could better the 34 year old's 15 league goals, with Lampard breaking Chelsea's all time scoring record in the process, and he will almost certainly be partnered with Michael Carrick this week. The United man attempted more passes (2774) than any other Premier League player last season, with an 88.1% accuracy, picking up a WhoScored rating of 7.04 in the process.

Though many are still unconvinced by his somewhat unorthodox style of play, few could question how effective Andy Carroll has been for West Ham this season, and his WhoScored rating of 7.47 is a reflection of his importance to their survival. A return of just 7 goals from 79 shots (8.9%) is clearly down on what you would expect from a centre forward, but only 4 players averaged more shots per game (3.3) and Carroll's average of 1.4 key passes was only bettered by four players to regularly start as a striker, and the equal of Dimitar Berbatov, who sees considerably more of the ball.

The former Newcastle front man has also been forced out through injury, leaving Daniel Sturridge (7.21) as the best option to partner Wayne Rooney (7.25). The former ended the season in excellent form after a January move to Liverpool. The forward scored 10 goals in just 11 league starts for the Reds, finishing the campaign with the second best minutes per goal rate (113.9) of all players to reach double figures. Rooney, meanwhile, joins Walcott as one of the handful of players to reach the same landmark for both goals (12) and assists (10), having played in a withdrawn role in his final season under Ferguson, and one that could yet prove to be his last at Old Trafford.

While Hodgson may be encouraged by the statistics of the players likely to make up his starting XI, the strength in depth in his squad is a real worry ahead of some crucial upcoming qualifiers.