England have an abundance of talent in the wing-back position heading into their Nations League campaign.

But eyebrows were raised when Gareth Southgate opted to pick five right-backs — James Justin, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold — in his squad and no naturals on the opposite flank.

Ahead of the clash against Hungary on Saturday, we take a look at who can slot into the left wing-back position and who could be Southgate's first-choice pick for the position at the Qatar World Cup.

Kieran Trippier

England will be battling it out with Hungary, Germany and Italy in Group A3 of the Nations League, providing the perfect opportunity for players to impress ahead of the World Cup this winter. 

Trippier returned to the Premier League in January but his time on the pitch with Newcastle was limited due to a metatarsal fracture that sidelined for more than two months.

The 31-year-old ace has played left wing-back for England six times over the last two years, appearing there twice at Euro 2020 in wins against Croatia and Ukraine.

But two of his three starts came at right wing-back as Luke Shaw occupied the left flank for the majority of the tournament.

The former Tottenham man displayed moments of quality defensively for the Magpies last term and has undoubtedly improved in this area from his time under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.

A set-piece specialist remembered fondly for his free-kick against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, Southgate will certainly be tempted to find a way to fit Trippier into the line-up.

He has the most England experience on the left side of the full-backs picked this time, so it will be no surprise to see him start in the Nations League.

But his league form at the start of next season is likely to be a determining factor in where he will fit in at the World Cup.

James Justin

Leicester’s Justin is set to receive his first England cap during June's Nations League fixtures after impressing at club level. 

Having sustained an ACL injury in February 2021, he missed the first 18 Premier League games of last season but managed to finish the campaign strongly to catch Southgate’s eye.

Although a right-back by trade, he has performed just as well on the left for Leicester, having made seven appearances there, and started each of his side’s final three matches of the campaign in that position.

But question marks were raised on his selection despite his versatility, with the likes of natural left wing-back Ryan Sessegnon getting more game time and helping Tottenham secure Champions League football.

Justin, 24, has a lot less experience than the likes of Trippier and James and it will be interesting to see whether Southgate throws him in at the deep end in clashes against Germany and Italy. 

Reece James

James has excelled over the last couple of seasons at Chelsea and is a weapon Southgate will love to have in his arsenal in England’s jam-packed fixture schedule.

He bagged six goals and 10 assists for the Blues last term, offers great athleticism down the flank and has the ability to hurt any defence with his driving runs.

James has yet to feature on the left for the Three Lions but made one start there in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Brighton before picking up a hamstring injury.

Southgate did not favour James at Euro 2020, picking him just once from the start against Scotland, with either Trippier or Walker occupying his preferred position.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold back in contention after missing Euro 2020, it seems the chances of James featuring at right wing-back are unlikely.

His best chance of game time is likely to be on the left. And although he has less experience there than Justin and Trippier, his exceptional ability should put him high in the pecking order.

Waiting in the wings

Shaw, 26, was Southgate’s preferred left-back at Euro 2020. 

He started five of England’s six games, provided three assists and found the back of the net early on in the final.

But the Manchester United ace has been plagued by injuries and was unable to get going following a head injury in late November, starting only six league games from that point due to a number of issues.

If Shaw is able to kick on next season and return to the form he has displayed recently for England, he will likely be Southgate’s first choice left wing-back at the World Cup.

Ben Chilwell missed a huge chunk of last season but returned from an ACL injury in time to make an appearance from the bench in Chelsea's last game of the season.

Prior to that injury, Chilwell looked to be set to enjoy a successful campaign when he bagged goals in three consecutive games in October. 

Both he and Shaw will both be keen to perform at their best next season as they push to ensure Southgate cannot overlook them for World Cup duty.