Who could replace Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge and Marcus Rashford in the England squad?

England are facing something of a crisis ahead of their upcoming internationals against Germany and Lithuania. Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Daniel Sturridge could all miss their country's clashes through injury, thus stripping Gareth Southgate of most of his first-choice forwards. But the England boss need not panic just yet.

With the match against Germany 'just' a friendly and the World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, a side almost 100 places below the Three Lions in the ever-reliable Fifa rankings, Southgate may reap rewards by bringing back some familiar faces or even experimenting with a couple of untested debutants if the aforementioned trio fail to recover from their respective knocks.

So, who are the candidates to fill the considerable void left by Kane, Sturridge and Rashford?

Andy Carroll

West Ham United's towering, old-fashioned forward has been in fine fettle since making his return from injury in December. Slaven Bilic's men were facing the prospect of a relegation dogfight due to their abysmal start to the season but any fears of the drop were allayed by Carroll, who predictably added presence and power to the Irons' attack at a time when they needed it most.

The 28-year-old has scored six goals in 11 starts for West Ham United during their gradual climb to mid-table mediocrity and has also improved the performances of those around him. Manuel Lanzini and Sofiane Feghouli have clearly benefitted from playing alongside Carroll in recent weeks, and Liverpool's record signing could strike up a similar rapport with another diminutive figure in Reds talisman Adam Lallana, who is a cert to start for England later this month.

Above all else, Carroll simply offers a physical dimension that no other English forward can provide. The modern-day Duncan Ferguson may not be to everyone's taste, but nobody can argue with his ability to make a considerable impact when called upon.

Andre Gray

Considering the lack of quality service provided by Burnley, Gray has done incredibly well to plunder eight goals in just 20 starts during his first season in the Premier League.

The former Hinckley United hitman's remit for Sean Dyche's side is largely based around chasing long balls into the channels, but he is more than just a willing workhorse. Over the course of the campaign Gray has only managed to unleash 32 shots, but a strike rate of a goal every four attempts suggests that he is a gifted finisher.

Add to that his seering pace, ability to shrug off defenders and penchant for a mazy dribble, Gray is more than just a one-dimensional clogger. The former Championship Player of the Year has shown that he is not out of place in England's top-flight, and he soon may have the opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities for the national side.

Troy Deeney

Deeney has been on the fringes of the England set-up since Watford returned to the Premier League, but a call-up has so far proved elusive. When all has changed around him, Deeney has proved a calm and pivotal influence at Vicarage Road, tying together a dressing room full of new recruits hailing from far and wide.

His influence is felt on the pitch, too. Since the Hornets returned the English top-flight, Deeney has scored 21 goals and assisted 10 more. Like Carroll, the 28-year-old is a force to be reckoned with in the air, but he is more than just a battering ram. Deeney's power is intertwined with grace, subtlety and intelligence, making him a rather daunting prospect for most central defenders.

Perhaps an England call-up would prove to be nothing more than a token gesture for Deeney, who at 29 is far from being one for the future. But friendlies are made for pushing the boat out, and who better to experiment against than Die Mannschaft?

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Not a centre-forward by any stretch of the imagination, but Oxlade-Chamberlain's inclusion would provide Southgate with a multitude of attacking options and could also give Arsenal teammate Theo Walcott license to operate in a central role.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been one of the remarkably few bright spots during a rather chaotic period for the Gunners and is able to operate on both flanks or in the centre of midfield. He was not included in Southgate's last squad but should be given the nod after some encouraging recent displays in which he has shown that he has become a more rounded player under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger, though he still reportedly has designs of leaving Arsenal at the end of the season.

Capable of providing pace and direct running on the wing, 'The Ox' could also spark life into England's engine room, which can be a tad ponderous and lacking in invention at times.

Danny Welbeck

A key figure under Roy Hodgson, Welbeck was very much missed by his country as they crashed out of Euro 2016 in spectacularly woeful fashion. The Arsenal forward has scored six goals in his last seven international appearances but has only garnered two England caps in the last two-and-a-half years, with two serious injuries curtailing his progress for both club and country.

Nursed back to full fitness by the Arsenal medical team, only illness prevented Welbeck from starting against Bayern Munich last week. The fact that Arsene Wenger initially chose to start him against the Bavarian giants suggests that the former Manchester United starlet is fully ready for the rigours of high-level football.

He has not done anything to warrant a place in Southgate's squad for Arsenal, but given his prominence and importance in the previous regime, and with the opportunities to afford fringe players minutes ahead of Russia not exactly infinite, the England manager could use this break to examine if Welbeck can still be a key component for the Three Lions going forward.