From Kobbie Mainoo to Manchester City, the winners and losers of England's international break

Wembley matches against Brazil and Belgium were the last chance for players to stake a claim for Gareth Southgate's squad before he names the "training squad" that will play June friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland before being cut to 23.

As June 16 (when England kick off against Serbia) gets closer, the stakes get higher, the good things are more beneficial and the mistakes more costly.

Here we look at the winners and losers from England's international break.

WINNERS

Kobbie Mainoo

From the moment he made his Premier League debut as an 18-year-old at a fired-up Goodison Park in November it was obvious the Manchester United midfielder was special but when he failed to make the initial squad for the games against Belgium, it looked like he had missed the boat.

A late call-up inspired by his FA Cup performance at Liverpool led to an eye-catching cameo against Brazil and a brilliant first start versus Belgium. It helps, too, that a partner for Declan Rice was one of the big English question marks as Kalvin Phillips has played himself further out of the picture. Questions answered, perhaps?

Ivan Toney

It was billed as a shoot-out between Toney and Ollie Watkins and the final score was 1-0 to the Brentford man. Yes, Toney's goal on his first start was "only" a penalty but going into a major tournament where shoot-outs are always lurking, his coolness from 12 yards is significant. Watkins, on such great form with Aston Villa, missed a good first-half chance against Brazil.

Jarrod Bowen

The former Hull City man has been on the fringes of the squad for a while now, dipping in and out, but he is in good club form with West Ham United and transferred it to England, having a goal disallowed for offside on Tuesday. His ability to play as a centre-forward as well as deputising for Bukayo Saka on the right, makes Gareth Southgate's life easier if he only goes for one specialist back-up to Harry Kane.

Anthony Gordon

Like many, Gordon made his run late having previously been in the under-21 set-up but the fact he played more minutes than Cole Palmer or Marcus Rashford looked good for the Newcastle United winger, who was one of the big plusses when he started against Belgium. He is another who can play as a No 9 if needs be.

Jude Bellingham

The Real Madrid man will have to get used to the sort of treatment Brazil, led by Lucas Paqueta, meted out at Wembley on Friday but he responded with a decisive stoppage-time goal against Belgium, only his third in international football.

It was only a friendly where the result should have been meaningless but to finish with back-to-back Wembley defeats for only the second time in 47 years, even after playing well against Belgium, would have been a dent to morale. Southgate's touchline celebration showed the value of Bellingham's goal.

LOSERS

Lewis Dunk

As a cultured centre-back comfortable in Brighton and Hove Albion's high-pressing style, Lewis Dunk seemed a good fit for this squad, but his four caps since the last World Cup have not really applied the pressure England needed on Harry Maguire and March's two saw him take a big step backwards.

At fault for goals in both games, it is hard to see him making the squad now, even with alternatives not exactly overflowing. Maguire, John Stones and Jordan Pickford had their moments too, but they have credit in the bank Dunk has not.

Jarrad Branthwaite

Given the lack of really strong alternatives to Maguire, it felt like a missed opportunity not to start Branthwaite in one of the games, never mind not give the left-footed Everton centre-back any minutes. The 21-year-old looks well-suited to international football but as Dunk has shown, you never quite know until you see them in action and taking any uncapped player but especially a centre-back seems like a risk Southgate is very unlikely to take.

Sam Johnstone

With Nick Pope injured, the Crystal Palace goalkeeper looked well placed to go to Germany as England's No 2 but an elbow injury picked up in training means he is in real danger of missing the squad altogether. Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale suddenly looks like he might be the fall-back to Pickford despite a miserable season largely spent on the Arsenal sidelines.

Manchester City

Hopefully the injuries picked up by Kyle Walker and Stones are not enough to rule them out of the European Championship but any chunk of City's treble-chase they are forced to miss will be significant. In fairness, Stones' availability has been hit and miss all season but captain Walker has been a mainstay.

City's next two games are at home to Arsenal and Aston Villa, and they play Bellingham's Real Madrid home and away in early/mid-April.

Nike

It seemed like an awful lot of fuss for a tiny logo on the back of the collar of a shirt, but flag-gate was a big own goal by the American firm who make England's kits as politicians from all sides jumped on the bandwagon. More concerning was the cost-of-living-crisis-oblivious prices of them, especially the children's versions. They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, but it felt like a bad week for Nike.

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