Burnley centre back is among the top English performers this season

Euro 2020 has been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
James TarkowskiJames Tarkowski
James Tarkowski

And that is a blow to Burnley centre back James Tarkowski, whose outstanding form this season had pushed him right into the thinking as regards Gareth Southgate's England squad.

Tarkowski has two caps for the Three Lions, both under Southgate, coming in 2018, in March that year at Wembley against Italy in a 1-1 draw, and then at Leicester City's King Power Stadium in September in a 1-0 win over Switzerland.

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The former Oldham and Brentford man was named in the standby pool for the World Cup in Russia, but was forced to pull out to undergo hernia surgery.

He hasn't featured since for his country, but his performances in helping the Clarets keep 11 clean sheets in the Premier League so far - only bettered by runaway leaders Liverpool - have thrust him back into contention.

Tarkowski will have to maintain or build on that form, looking ahead to next summer, but statistics compiled by WhoScored.com put him alongside Manchester United's Harry Maguire as the best two English centre backs this season.

The website named a top-rated English XI for the season so far, with a few surprises.

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The pick of the goalkeepers is Bournemouth's Aaron Ramsdale, with a back four of Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Maguire, Tarkowski and Ben Chilwell (Leicester City).

The midfield three is Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester City) and Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), with a front three of Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) and Marcus Rashford (Manchester United).