BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 01: James Tarkowski of Burnley is seen during the Premier League match between Burnley and Liverpool at Turf Moor on January 1, 2018 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Hot Take – James Tarkowski and Ben Mee should start for England at the World Cup.

Not just be in the squad. Start.

Now, many people will probably read that first line, scoff, and head down to the comment section to suggest that I should walk off a cliff.

And you’d be right to have that reaction – how could anyone possibly suggest that two players who have ZERO combined appearances for England should be their two starting center-backs at the World Cup?

Well, when you look at England’s options at the center-back position, it’s not a very exciting bunch, and nobody really stands out. Realistically, you’re probably looking at:

Gary Cahill

Chris Smalling

Phil Jones

John Stones

Michael Keane

Joe Gomez

Harry Maguire

Ben Mee

James Tarkowski

Gary Cahill has seen his playtime dwindle this season, as he’s now splitting time with Azpilicueta, Christensen, and Rudiger. He also wasn’t picked for England’s squad against the Netherlands and Italy. Is this just rest for the 32 year-old or is Southgate sending a bigger message?

Speaking of players who didn’t get picked for these friendlies, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones were also not considered by Gareth Southgate, and for good reason. Smalling has been poor for United this season, and the only thing that Jones can do consistently is get injured.

John Stones has only appeared in about half of Man City’s games this season, and that number should decrease with the arrival of Aymeric Laporte, and with Vincent Kompany coming back from injury. Stones has clearly fallen out of favor with Guardiola, as he’s logged just nine Premier League minutes since the end of January.

Michael Keane also wasn’t picked in the England squad for these friendlies after being less than impressive in his first season at Everton. He’s put out very inconsistent performances so far, and hasn’t been anywhere near the player he was last year.

Joe Gomez got the start against the Netherlands, which is strange because he’s been playing right-back for Liverpool all season. Regardless, he got injured after just 10 minutes, so his status for the World Cup is in doubt.

The only one on this list that doesn’t really have a major knock against him is Harry Maguire. He’s actually been really good this year, and if Gareth Southgate decides to play 3 at the back, then Maguire should absolutely be the third guy.

They’re a product of Sean Dyche’s defensive philosophy – a hard-nosed, old-school style of defending in which they’re constantly putting their bodies on the line, throwing themselves in front of shots (Burnley leads the Premier League in blocked shots) and going hard and fearless into tackles.

They already have great chemistry and an established partnership, and with a pool of center-backs featuring little international experience, putting two players who are comfortable next to each other could be very beneficial.

All the other center-backs on that list play in the Premier League as well, so it’s not like Mee and Tarkowski aren’t facing same competition as everyone else. They’re playing better than every other English center-back this season, and they’re doing it against the same level of quality that they’d be facing in Russia this summer, so why not give them a chance?