NICK POPE looks to be in top spot for a World Cup start in November after featuring for England against Italy on Friday.

Drafted in for the injured Jordan Pickford, former York goalkeeper Pope played the full 90 minutes at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, a game that England lost 1-0.

Giacomo Raspadori’s second-half strike was enough to separate the two sides, condemning England to relegation in the Nations League and extending their winless run to five games, their worst streak in eight years.

The Three Lions are yet to record a Nations League victory this term, having drawn two and lost three of their opening five matches.

In his first seven Premier League games this season, Pope has kept three clean sheets and conceded just seven goals for Newcastle United, the club he joined from Burnley in the summer.

The 30-year-old, who has been capped nine times for the Three Lions, made 24 appearances for York in the 2013/14 season, while on loan from Charlton Athletic.

Pope kept 12 clean sheets for City as they reached the play-offs in the Sky Bet League Two.

He will continue to battle with Arsenal number one Aaron Ramsdale, Everton’s Pickford and Dean Henderson, who is at Nottingham Forest on loan from Manchester United, for the coveted England number one spot ahead of this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

England will take on Germany on Monday at Wembley Stadium in their second of two Nations League fixtures this month.

It will be the final game for the Three Lions ahead of the World Cup, which begins in November.

Elsewhere, Charlie Cresswell will be hoping for another start with the England under-21s against Germany tomorrow at Bramall Lane (7.45pm).

The York-raised centre-back played the full 90 minutes for Lee Carsley’s side last week as England beat Italy 2-0 in a friendly.