WHEN Gareth Southgate names his latest England squad on Thursday afternoon there will be some eager eyes tuning in at Gawthorpe.

At around that time Sean Dyche will be facing the press at Burnley's training ground to preview the Clarets' trip to Sunderland in a crucial Premier League game this weekend.

But Southgate's squad for a friendly with Germany in Dortmund and a World Cup qualifier at Wembley against Lithuania will be attracting plenty of attention and comment as well.

It was only in May 2015 that Tom Heaton was called up by his country, the first Claret to get the Three Lions call in 41 years after Martin Dobson in 1974.

Heaton made his debut a year later in a Euro 2016 warm-up against Australia and he has since been followed into the England squad by Michael Keane. Both seem certain to retain their places and surely a debut awaits this month for the ever-improving Keane?

But could it be a hat-trick of players heading from Turf Moor to St George's Park next week?

National press reports suggested Southgate, who has watched Burnley a few times this season, was keeping tabs on the Clarets top scorer Andre Gray this month. Since then circumstances have conspired to fire Gray up the pecking order.

Last week Keane said his teammate was 'destined' for England honours, at some point. Many may think this month is too soon for a striker who was playing non-league football three years ago and has just over 1,700 minutes of Premier League football under his belt, but the fiercely ambitious Gray may see it differently.

A place in the squad is far from guaranteed, but there are gaps appearing in Southgate's strike force.

Earlier this month Sean Dyche was glowing in his praise of who he considered England's leading striker, Harry Kane, but the ankle injury he sustained in the FA Cup win over Millwall is a major blow to country as well as club.

Southgate is a fan of Daniel Sturridge but he hasn't featured for Liverpool since February 4, while Three Lions captain Wayne Rooney is a peripheral figure at Manchester United and missed the FA Cup tie with Chelsea after a training ground clash with Phil Jones.

So who is left?

Jamie Vardy has rediscovered a modicum of form since Claudio Ranieri was given the boot at Leicester and looks certain to be included. Theo Walcott has 17 goals in 33 games this season and he may well fill one of the striking spots in Southgate's squad.

Only five English players have more goals than Gray's eight in the Premier League this season. Kane is out, while Dele Alli and Michail Antonio tend to fill midfield berths.

That leaves Jermain Defoe and Troy Deeney. Defoe's 14 goals for Sunderland should be enough but there appears little appetite to recall him for the first time since 2013.

Deeney has nine top flight goals this season and could be a realistic alternative to Gray, while if Southgate is keen for an aerial presence he could consider Andy Carroll, who has returned to form and fitness at West Ham.

But Gray certainly has a chance. He may be relatively new to this level and he has areas to improve, but he can certainly finish and given Southgate's striker crisis that may be enough this time.