Exciting Lewis Hall theory emerges with Newcastle United star in line to solve major problem


Lee Carsley is expected to tinker with his England selections as he plots how to take the Three Lions to the next level during his interim spell in charge.

At present, one glaringly problematic area of his squad is that of left-back - and that provides Lewis Hall with an incredible opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the side going forward. Hall was named Man of the Match on Monday evening, as England's under-21 side beat Austria under-21s 4-1 in Luton, with the Newcastle United star helping himself to two assists from left-back.

The former Chelsea academy graduate looked as impressive as ever as he bombed forward whenever the opportunity presented itself, earning praise from those in attendance. Now is the perfect time to time to be putting on these types of displays at England youth level as Carsley looks to poach top talent and hand them senior debuts in his new-look England setup.

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Tino Livramento, Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes and Noni Madueke are all examples of that after being handed maiden call ups for this round of UEFA Nations League fixtures. The theory now is that Hall could be on the cusp of joining the aforementioned quartet due to the lack of solid options in his position.

Carsley's left-back options, at present, are limited. Chelsea's Levi Colwill started in that role in Saturday's 2-0 win over Ireland, while Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa has also been used on the left of the England defence in recent months. Manchester City's versatile youngster, Rico Lewis, is no stranger to be deployed at full-back either.

As for the more established left-backs, Luke Shaw has been his country's starting left-back in the last three tournaments but has missed the start of the season with a calf injury - and his fitness is never assured these days. Ben Chilwell has also been exiled at Chelsea and is therefore facing an uncertain England future.

Step forward Newcastle's Hall. Carsley will be well aware of the 20-year-old's talents having himself worked closely with the England youth teams in recent years. Monday's performance will no doubt have put Hall firmly on the radar, with the full-back laying down a huge marker for the next international break just next month.

Of course, to ensure he earns a spot in Carsley's collective, Hall needs to perform at club level too. However, Eddie Howe has been doing his own bit of tinkering, testing out both Hall and Lloyd Kelly at left-back in Newcastle's early Premier League outings.

Hall started the first Premier League game of the season but ultimately struggled defensively as Southampton piled pressure on 10-man Newcastle at St James' Park. Since then, Kelly has been given the nod as the summer signing gets up to speed in his new surroundings.

“I think he’s made a really positive impact with the group," Howe said of Kelly last month. "I’ve been really impressed with his performances. He would say he is ready, and he is certainly pushing for a starting place.”

Hall certainly has a battle on his hands on Tyneside but his display this week has certainly helped him enter the frame for a potential senior call up in the not too distant future.