IT is rapidly becoming a footballing cliche - but there is always one player who comes out of nowhere to force his way into an England squad in the build-up to a World Cup.

David Platt did it in 1990, Michael Owen did it in 1998, Darius Vassell and Trevor Sinclair both did it in 2002, but who will be the surprise package when Sven Goran-Eriksson names his squad for the 2006 finals in Germany?

With less than five months to go before the finals, the magnifying glass has been intensified over the Premiership's English contingent with Wanderers midfield dynamo Kevin Nolan battling it out in the queue for a seat on the plane to Germany.

Eriksson is a manager who likes to stick by his regulars. The likes of David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney have most likely ordered their in-flight meal on the way to Baden-Baden, but the Swede does have a track record of throwing in the odd surprise name in major competitions.

He named Darius Vassell, then of Aston Villa, in his squad for the 2002 World Cup despite only having five caps before the tournament.

At Euro 2004, Spurs' Ledley King had just three caps before being thrust into action against France in Portugal.

So what chance then does the in-form Wanderers skipper have of claiming a place in Sven's congested squad?

Nolan has several factors on his side. He is playing the best football of his career, as Sven himself witnessed in Saturday's victory over Manchester City at the Reebok.

With many of his midfield peers out-of-form or out-of-favour, Nolan has been virtually ever-present at the heart of the Wanderers engine room. Alongside fellow Englishman Kevin Davies, he is the first name on Sam Allardyce's teamsheet each week, and leads his side by example.

The incomparable Gerrard and Lampard aside, only Joe Cole has matched Nolan for goals from midfield. The 23-year-old's strike against City was his eighth of the season, way ahead of Jermaine Jenas, Kieron Dyer, Scott Parker or Sean Wright-Phillips

But perhaps most importantly, Nolan's form is peaking at the right time. England face Uruguay in a friendly on March 1, which is likely to provide Eriksson with his last chance to tinker with his squad. After that, the pre-World Cup warms ups against Jamaica and Hungary are likely to be a closed shop.

With Dyer and Parker out injured, Hargreaves and Wright-Phillips perhaps out of the picture, and Stewart Downing not yet back to his best at struggling Middlesbrough, there are midfield places up for grabs alongside messrs Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard and Cole.

Spurs trio Michael Carrick, Jermaine Jenas and Aaron Lennon are likely candidates, and Manchester City's Joey Barton could be an outside shot. But none match Nolan for current form, and only uncapped teenager Lennon could be described as a genuine attacking option.

Eriksson took seven midfielders to Japan, which leaves two places up for grabs at best. All eyes on Sven's squad for March's friendly at Anfield.