UNLESS Sven-Goran Eriksson is contemplating the bold move of naming both Ugo Ehiogu and Gareth Southgate in his World Cup squad, it is unlikely the England boss learned too much from his Thursday night trip to the Valley.

With Middlesbrough and Charlton carving out barely a handful of chances between them as their FA Cup quarter-final limped to a soporific goalless draw, the England boss will have seen little to have persuaded him that any of the players on display are worthy of a late call-up to his 23-man squad.

But, while neither Charlton striker Darren Bent nor Boro midfielder Stewart Downing did much to prompt a change in Eriksson's thinking, full-back Franck Queudrue feels the Swede would be wrong to write the latter out of his plans.

With England suffering from a chronic shortage of left-footed midfielders, the 21-year-old is one of the few players harbouring realistic ambitions of grabbing a late ticket to Germany.

And, while Downing was unable to swing Thursday's game Boro's way, Queudrue is confident the Teessider could yet prove an unlikely match-winner in the World Cup finals.

"If I was England boss, I would certainly pick Stewart for the World Cup," said the Frenchman, who has previously compared the left winger to Chelsea's Dutch dribbler Arjen Robben. "Maybe I wouldn't play him in the starting XI, but he can definitely be a valuable attacking outlet from the bench.

"In my opinion, he offers something to the England side that nobody else does. If the game is tight and you need someone to go past players on the left-hand side, there is nobody better in English football than Stewart.

"He has qualities that are in short supply at the moment. His crosses and his final ball are exceptional. You saw against Roma, we had one cross from Stewart and we scored the goal that took us through."

Queudrue is uniquely well-placed to discuss Downing's qualities as he has spent most of his Middlesbrough career playing behind the youngster from Pallister Park.

The arrival of Emanuel Pogatetz has restricted his opportunities at left-back but, on Thursday, he returned to his role in an orthodox back four, with Downing ahead of him on the wing.

The experience proved an enlightening one, with Queudrue claiming his team-mate was an improved player despite the recurring knee injury that forced him out of almost all of the first half of the season.

"That was the first time I have played behind Stewart for a while and I think he is back to his best," said the 27-year-old. "In fact, I think he has progressed even further.

"We were a duo for most of last year but, for whatever reason, we haven't been able to play together for a while.

"I think we missed Stewart when he was injured and it certainly good to have him back. He is a hard worker so, as a full-back, he is a dream to have in front of you.

"He can change a game in a second because he has the pace to take someone on. He is clever and he doesn't just go on his left all the time - he knows how to switch inside and make the defender think."

While Downing was unable to conjure up the goal that would have taken Boro through to the last four on Thursday, a resilient defensive display from both Southgate and Ehiogu at least ensured they did not crash out of the competition at the quarter-final stage.

Southgate's assurity was only to be expected given his impressive cup form, but Ehiogu's dominant display was rather more noteworthy given the traumatic breakdown of his mooted move to West Brom two months ago.

The 33-year-old passed a medical and agreed personal terms at the Hawthorns, only for the transfer to collapse at the last minute.

Other players might have retreated into their shell following a hasty retreat to the Riverside but, with Steve McClaren having to shuffle his pack in an attempt to cope with his side's hectic schedule, Ehiogu has emerged as a crucial part of the squad.

His response has been a series of committed performances, with this week's display at the Valley undoubtedly being the best of the bunch.

"I thought Thursday night was possibly Ugo's best game for the club," said Queudrue. "He is the ultimate professional and none of us ever had any doubts about how he would react to everything that happened in January.

"He is a great pro. Whenever he wears the Middlesbrough shirt, you always know that he is going to give you 100 per cent. That's what a good professional does and it's certainly his mentality.

"If he had gone to West Brom, I'm sure he would have been giving 100 per cent for West Brom now. As it is, he is still here and he is giving everything for us."

With Chris Riggott continuing to be hampered by a calf problem, Ehiogu is likely to keep his place in the side when Bolton visit the Riverside tomorrow.

Queudrue could find himself overlooked for Pogatetz but, with two crucial UEFA Cup games against FC Basle scheduled for the next two midweeks, the amiable full-back insists nobody can expect to play in every game between now and the end of the season.

"We are professionals and we have to accept that, in a season like this, the manager has to switch things around," he said.

"Sometimes you are not happy, but that's natural. The manager can't please everybody all of the time. If you are a professional, you have to learn to deal with that.

"The only response to disappointment is to give your best next time you are out on the pitch. Nobody wants to miss out, but you have to be realistic about the number of games we still have to play."

Ehiogu has been nominated by the FA for the player of the round award after his display against Charlton.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.