England Hopefuls: Manchester City

Like Chelsea, Manchester City are a team that can afford the very best in foreign imports, however that doesn't mean they completely shun English talent and the development of those players. We continue our look around the grounds at some of the English talent for Brazil and beyond.

If you have missed the start of the series, you can find our article on Chelsea HERE, and Arsenal HERE.

Joe Hart

Joe went through a rough patch earlier this season when he was benched in favour of Romanian Costel Pantilimon. However maybe he needed a little kick up the backside as he seemed to be getting a little too complacent. However with the likes of Ruddy, Forster and Foster banging on the England door, he'll need to be at his best to keep his place. I think he is England's number one undoubtedly, however he may not be sitting as comfortable as he once was. He has kept 6 clean sheets this season in 18 appearances and since his benching he has conceded 9 goals in 9 games, averaging just a goal a game is something we could do with in Brazil.

Will he be on the plane to Brazil? - Yes 100%, he is England's number one, and he is playing well.

Future England Prospects: He's just 26 and for a goalkeeper that's very young, he could be England's keeper for the next 10 years.

Micah Richards

Unfortunately for Micah Richards he is struggling to find his fitness, suffering several niggling injuries throughout the season. What's even more unfortunately for Richards is he has Pablo Zabaleta in his place, and what's even more unfortunate for Richards is Johnson and Walker are both playing very well. There was a time where Richards looked like one of the best English players to come through the ranks in a while, he was quick, strong, powerful and dominant in the air. However he has played in just two premier league games this season, and that's not nearly enough to get a place on the plane to Brazil. I like Richards and he is only 25 so he has more than enough time to regain his place in the Manchester City squad and force his way back into the England team.

Will he be on the plane to Brazil? - No. I don't think he'll go based on him not playing regularly in the Premier League for Manchester City.

Furure England Prospects: Like many young players, he's always going to have a chance to regain a position in the England national team, but if he can't force his way into the City side, he may have to go elsewhere.

Joleon Lescott

Joleon is similar to Richards. Towards the start of the season Joleon was playing regularly due to some injuries, however he has only played once in the last 12 games in the Premier League for Manchester City and was heavily rumoured to be moving on in January. So for that reason I would not be taking Lescott to the World Cup because I'd take younger players with more versatility. His career will be winding down now with him turning 32 this year. Lescott has been a good servant and was always quite reliable without being flashy.

Will he be on the plane to Brazil? - No. I think we go younger at the position and take players with more versatility like Chris Smalling and or Phil Jones.

Future England Prospects: Personally, I think Lescott's time has come to an end as an English player, we are in a state of changeover at the moment.

James Milner

This is a really tough one for me, England managers seem to love him, maybe it's because of his work-rate and the fact he can play anywhere across the midfield. However I have never rated him, I don't think he is technically that good, and he will run all day for you but on the ball I never see that extra quality that you need at the next level. He has featured in nearly all of Manchester City games this season, usually as a very late substitute, playing 10-20 minutes per game. Roy really likes him as a player, but I think we have better for tecnically gifted players that could go in his place.

Will he be on the plane to Brazil? - Do I think he should go? No! Do I think he will go? Yes. Roy loves him, he's a workhorse.

Future England Prospects: I think he'll be in and around the squad for years to come, but I don't think he'll ever be a regular again, we have too much talent in that area coming through.

Gareth Barry

Although he has been out on loan at Everton all season, Barry is still a Manchester City player. He has been excellent this year for Everton and he is experiencing a little revival in his career. He's scored 3 goals, created 25 chances for teammates, completes 86% of his passes and is extremely reliable in the centre of the park. He is 32 and I do worry about his ability to cope with the conditions in Brazil, however if you are rewarding players based on performance, then Gareth probably needs to be in that boat.

Will he be on the plane to Brazil? I think so, as I mentioned above, I'm a little anxious about his ability to cope with the conditions, but he is scoring and creating chances.

Future England Prospects: A final farewell at the World Cup? I don't think we'll see much of Barry after the 2014 World Cup, it's time to make a change.

Jack Rodwell

He has played 94 minutes in the Premier League all season. Once thought of as the next great English midfielder, a run of injuries have really derailed his career. Moving to Manchester City too early may have been an era for Jack as he hasn't been given the opportunity to develop. Of course that's hard to do when you can't stay healthy. It's a short and sweet note on Jack, he should move this Summer to get his career back on the track.

Will he be on the plane to Brazil? Absolutely not! He has done absolutely nothing and has barely played all season.

Future England Prospects: He needs to move to another club to get any momentum and form back.

Scott Sinclair

It's a shame that Scott made the decision to move to Manchester City, after starting at Chelsea (well technically Bristol Rovers) he made the right switch to Swansea and then people started talking about him as a Possible England international. He represented Great Britain at the Olympics and it seemed as though his career was only heading one way. Then he made the big jump to Man City and he's been lost on the depth chart, barely playing. Now he is at West Brom, playing largely as a substitute, and he is another player who needs to leave Manchester City in the Summer to get his career back on track.

Will he be on the plane to Brazil? Absolutely not, not even close to consideration

Future England Prospects: He needs to move to another club to get his career back on track.