Roy Hodgson is holding his cards close to his chest with England’s squad due to be announced this week. England meet Lithuania at Wembley in Euro 2016 qualifying on March 27 before travelling to the Juventus Stadium in Turin for a friendly with Italy four days later. The last time England played was in mid-November, when they beat Scotland and Slovenia with Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Rickie Lambert and Saido Berhaino. Yet the contenders have arrived. Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Charlie Austin and Danny Ings are among those that could be selected, and Hodgson is set to pick four from the eight available. So, stick or twist? Well, here are the numbers that may sway Hodgson’s decision one way or another. England captain Wayne Rooney, pictured celebrating against Scotland, looks a certainty to be picked . Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur . Against Arsenal on February 7, Kane scored twice in front of watching England manager Hodgson to win the north London derby. It was deja vu on March 8, when the 21-year-old added two more against Queens Park Rangers yet again in front of the England manager. If that doesn’t convince, perhaps these statistics will: . • Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (both 41) have scored more than Kane (26) in all competitions this season . • Only Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa (both 17) have more Premier League goals but Kane (16) did not start a game until November 9 . • Kane has scored 14 in his last 13 Premier League games and became the fourth player in history to score in six consecutive away games . • His goals have contributed a staggering 19 points in the Premier League this season . And we could go on. Kane is used to leading a 4-2-3-1 at Tottenham, and would have to adapt to a partnership in Hodgson’s classic 4-4-2 midfield diamond formation. Even so, the question is not should Hodgson pick the highest scoring Englishman, but rather how could he not? VERDICT: SHOULD GO . Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane beats Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Robert Green last week . Kane celebrates one of his many goals this season as the striker gets noticed in the Premier League . Kane will hope to be involved in Roy Hodgson's England squad when it is announced this week . Charlie Austin, Queens Park Rangers . QPR vs Tottenham was billed as the battle of the two best kids on the playground yet, with teacher watching on, Kane overshadowed his potential England team-mate. But Austin, seemingly carrying the third-bottom team in the Premier League, remains the fourth top goalscorer (15), just one behind the man with better service at White Hart Lane. Shoot on sight, seems to be the strategy. Austin ranks first in total shots (61) and shooting accuracy (67 per cent) out of the eight potential England forwards, having played more minutes (2,169) than any of the others this season. Austin’s goals have contributed 45 per cent of QPR’s points this season, and manager Chris Ramsey reckons he and Kane would complement each other in a front two partnership. VERDICT: SHOULD GO . QPR striker Charlie Austin scores against Arsenal at Loftus Road earlier in March in the Premier League . England hopeful Austin is in contention to be selected by Hodgson when his squad is announced this week . Wayne Rooney, Manchester United . Rooney, no longer being restricted to deep midfield, was restored to an attacking role recently, and scored twice against Sunderland to show he hasn’t lost his touch. He’s joint-first for chance conversion (29 per cent) and assists (four), and Hodgson previously announced he has no intention of using him as anything other than a striker. Was that a bluff? Rooney could still be used as an attacking midfielder or auxiliary forward behind two strikers, without wishing to step on Raheem Sterling’s toes as No 10. Rooney looked comfortable up top against Arsenal on Monday night, scoring Manchester United’s only goal in a 2-1 defeat. ‘He’s our captain and nearly the record goalscorer,’ Hodgson said in February. ‘It would take a lot from a 19 or 20-year-old to replace a man up front with over 100 caps.’ Never say never, but Rooney surely has a place reserved, whether that be as a striker or otherwise. VERDICT: SHOULD GO . Wayne Rooney has become the regular face of England and is set to be selected once more by Hodgson . Rooney celebrates Ashley Young's wining goal at St James' Park for Louis van Gaal's Manchester United . Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool . Sturridge is just returning from a thigh and hamstring injury that cost him five months, but has the third best minutes-per-goal ratio (175) of the eight strikers. The fit-again Liverpool forward started against Blackburn Rovers and Burnley, rather than Sterling being used in the centre, as the youngster had been against Manchester City and Southampton. Easing Sturridge back in to middle of Liverpool’s 3-4-3 is only natural, but he should be fit enough to be used internationally this month. Plenty are calling for England to adopt SturriKane, and we know the former Chelsea forward has no qualms in developing a partnership, as he showed with Luis Suarez. Sturridge can create something from nothing, and he and the young Tottenham forward could click, if Hodgson fancies it. VERDICT: SHOULD GO . Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge heads his goal against Burnley in the Premier League at Anfield . The ball nestles in the back of the net as Sturridge continues his recovery from an injury that cost months . Sturridge runs away in celebration after scoring for Liverpool as he continues his return to fitness . Saido Berahino, West Bromwich Albion . Nobody can say Berahino isn’t a workhorse. The only player to have featured in all 28 Premier League games, he has an admirable 12 goals and dominated back pages when he was selected by Hodgson in November. Yet he never made it off the substitutes’ bench against Slovenia or Scotland, and it led to a run of eight games without a goal for West Brom. He broke that duck against West Ham with an equaliser on New Year’s Day, before letting his frustration out on poor, old Gateshead with four goals in a 7-0 humiliation in the FA Cup third round. Hodgson has put plenty of faith in his Young Lions previously, and could well choose to give the 21-year-old his England debut in March. But the fight to be Hodgson’s fourth striker arguably rests between Berahino, Ings, Austin and Welbeck. For me, the pendulum swings the way of the QPR striker more than the rest. VERDICT: SHOULD NOT GO . West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino is in contention to be selected by England manager Hodgson . Berahino runs away in celebration after scoring for West Brom in the Premier League against Aston Villa . Berahino could be selected  as he continues to show why he deserves a place in the England team . Danny Ings, Burnley . What about the chap wanted by Liverpool, both Manchester clubs and Real Sociedad? Ings has scored nine goals for second-bottom Burnley – five of them in 2015 alone – and has the joint-most assists of the lot (four). Young and English with plenty to prove, he’s beating the odds week in, week out. Perhaps it is that which convinced Louis van Gaal to send chief scout Jim Lawlor to Anfield last week when Burnley were in town. Sean Dyche fielded the first all-British Premier League XI in December since 2011, and Ings is among those taking his chance in a team that use similar formations to England – 4-4-1-1 and 4-4-2. Ings has scored four goals in seven games for the England Under-21 team, but a call-up can only come if he proves more worthy than his competition, and that’s a tall ask. VERDICT: SHOULD NOT GO... YET . Danny Ings is wanted by a number of top Premier League clubs and could be called up by England . Ings is being looked at by Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool as he is likely to leave Burnley . Danny Welbeck, Arsenal . Against Slovenia in November, Welbeck scored twice in the Euro 2016 qualifier as England won 3-1. Same again? He played as a lone striker against his former club at Old Trafford, scored, and celebrated. Arsenal opted for 4-2-3-1 that night, although they tend to alter between 4-1-4-1 and 4-4-1-1 with Olivier Giroud the preferred striker. But Welbeck seized the day, pouncing on Antonio Valencia’s suicidal back-pass and making no mistake. Yet this season has not gone according to plan for Arsenal forward. He’s ranked last for minutes per goals (379) out of the eight, as well as bringing up the rear in chance conversion (11 per cent). Does he deserve a spot more than Kane, Ings or Austin? Not according to the rankings. VERDICT: SHOULD NOT GO . Danny Welbeck trains with Arsenal as the Premier League club look to clinch Champions League football . Welbeck has had a dip in form recently but will be looking to clinch a place in the England team once more . Rickie Lambert, Liverpool . Lambert got 10 minutes against Scotland in November, having gone to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, hardly getting a look-in. The 33-year-old’s rankings tell the story better. In 19 appearances in the Premier League, he ranks last for goals (2), shots (12), and, for a man with aerial ability, is the only one of the eight to not have scored a header. It would be bold to argue those with more than a decade on the Liverpool striker are less worthy to be included in Hodgson’s squad, and it seems Lambert’s time has been and gone. The consistency of Kane and Austin, among others, has blitzed the man on the wrong side of 30, and it’s time for the young blood. VERDICT: SHOULD NOT GO . Rickie Lambert has found life difficult since joining Liverpool and is unlikely to be selected by Hodgson . It would be surprising if Lambert (pictured right with Fabio Borini in training) was picked for the England team . SHOULD GO: ROONEY, KANE, STURRIDGE, AUSTIN . SHOULD NOT GO: WELBECK, BERAHINO, INGS, LAMBERT .
England face Lithuania on March 27 and Italy in a friendly on March 31 . Roy Hodgson is likely to select four strikers in his Three Lions squad . Harry Kane and Charlie Austin have been in fine form so far this season . Captain Wayne Rooney has played in midfield for Manchester United . Daniel Sturridge has returned to action with Liverpool after a long absence . Danny Welbeck, Rickie Lambert and Danny Ings also in contention .