Daniel Lewis

Wed 4 October 2023 12:10, UK

West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen has not been included in an England squad in over a year, but there is a good chance of that changing this week after Bukayo Saka sustained an injury playing for Arsenal.

Bowen’s most recent appearance for the Three Lions came in a 4-0 home loss to Hungary in September 2022, with that his fourth cap at senior international level.

The 26-year-old missed out on squad selection for the World Cup a couple of months later and has not been recalled since, despite his impressive form at club level.

After scoring five goals and assisting another in seven Premier League appearances this season – only Ollie Watkins, Mohamed Salah (both seven) and Erling Haaland (nine) have been involved in more – calls for his inclusion have only grown louder.

And it may well be that Gareth Southgate simply has no choice but to turn to Bowen for England’s upcoming friendly with Australia and Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy as one of his regulars looks set to be ruled out.

Saka went off with a muscular problem in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-1 Champions League loss to Lens on Tuesday [3 October], with manager Mikel Arteta later saying the injury “does not look good”.

Given Southgate names his squad on Thursday [5 October], there is a very high chance Saka will not be included. That opens the door for Bowen, who plays in the same right-sided forward position as the Arsenal ace.

If that proves to be the case, then Bowen will have a chance to make himself undroppable from Southgate’s squad as we fast approach Euro 2024 – a competition England will almost certainly now qualify for.

While it would be nice to instead see Bowen rest up over the two-week international break, he deserves to be playing for his country and it will only increase his confidence even more.

Should he indeed be called up, it will be long overdue.

In other West Ham news, the Hammers are reportedly desperate to avoid a ‘Declan Rice-type situation’ with one of their star players.