Jarrod Bowen’s World Cup chances dismissed thanks to three West Ham rivals
Thomas Tuchel won’t be taking West Ham hero Jarrod Bowen to the World Cup, in the view of Darren Bent.
Despite starting in the 2-0 win over Albania on Sunday as England rounded off their perfect World Cup qualifying campaign the Irons winger is being tipped to miss out on a place at the tournament proper next summer.
Bowen, 28, has been linked to a West Ham exit ahead of the January transfer window, with the Hammers having struggled badly this term under Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo.
His England hopes have regularly been cited as a reason for him to leave the London Stadium, with Liverpool long linked to a Bowen move.
Arsenal and Chelsea stars to go to World Cup over Jarrod Bowen
Now, former England striker Bent believes the current picture is building up to see Bowen out in the cold once it comes time for Tuchel to name his squad for the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Bukayo Saka is the presumed starter if fit on the right, despite Bowen’s numbers for West Ham stacking up well against the Arsenal star.
And it is another wide man from the Emirates in Noni Madueke, plus his former Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer, that Bent thinks will cover that flank at the expense of the former Hull City man.
During a discussion live on talkSPORT where he named a player at every position who is set to miss out Bent said for the right-wing position: “Jarrod Bowen, I don’t think Bowen will go.
“The reason I say that, and this is nothing against Bowen, is Saka’s gonna play, Tuchel likes Madueke, and Palmer can play out there.”
Bowen can force Tuchel’s hand
Bowen would be the first to admit that West Ham have been well below the desired standard for the past couple of years.
He’s proven numerous times before that he has the qualities to make himself a factor at the World Cup, but England are blessed with plenty of options these days so he may have to make it impossible for Tuchel to ignore.
The Irons captain has only scored three times in the Premier League this term but a pair of valuable victories heading into the international break over Newcastle and Burnley suggest things might finally be looking up as a collective.
On an individual level Bowen has netted double figures in the top flight during three of the past four campaigns, with the odd one out where he added another five on the way to lifting the Europa Conference League.
If he can get back to that level of production and see his team climb the table then Madueke surely would have to be looking over his shoulder.
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