Former Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has bemoaned Gareth Southgate's decision to leave in-form striker Ollie Watkins out of the latest England squad.
How has Ollie Watkins performed for Aston Villa?
The striker has been in sensational form recently, scoring six times in his last seven Premier League matches, while netting 10 times in all competitions this season.
The 27-year-old has been Unai Emery's trusted figure up front to the point that Danny Ings was allowed to leave in the January transfer window, and has seven England caps already to his name.
He was once described as "outstanding" by former manager Dean Smith, and his current form has been nothing short of remarkable.
However, he was omitted from the squad for England's EURO 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, in a move that has surprised Bent.
Speaking on TalkSport, Bent claimed that Watkins' form makes him more deserving of a place than other strikers who have been called up.
He said: "Someone who I think could count himself a bit unlucky to not be in the squad is Ollie Watkins.
"He's got six goals in his last seven games. He's timed his form to perfection if he was in contention for this England squad, so to get six in your last seven and not be in there, he can count himself unlucky.
"Callum Wilson, who was brilliant in the first half of the season, he's got one goal in 2023, so that's not going for him.
"I spoke about Tammy Abraham, he's got one in the last 10. Ollie Watkins is the one where he'd go, 'hold on a second here, why am I not in the squad?'"
Should Watkins be in the squad?
Whilst Watkins is evidently in better form than Wilson and Abraham, Southgate has elected to only pick two natural centre-forwards in the shape of Harry Kane and Ivan Toney.
Marcus Rashford is also capable of playing through the middle, and if Watkins was selected, his game time may well have been limited as a result of Kane's presence.
Although Watkins has been in better goalscoring form recently, Toney's 17 strikes this season place him ahead of the Villa star, as well as having one more assist throughout the campaign as a whole.
Whilst Watkins may bemoan his luck that he failed to make the squad when in such fine form, the other options at England's disposal mean he will face an uphill battle to force his way into Southgate's plans going forward.
With Kane the unquestionable starter, whichever forward makes it in out of Toney, Watkins or Wilson will still have to settle for a bench role anyway.
