The first key date for Gareth Southgate is the opening weekend of the Premier League season, Friday 11 August seeing Arsenal host Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium.
Barring another loan move abroad for Joe Hart and, perhaps uniquely among his international peers, Southgate's focus when picking his squad is entirely on domestic issues with no need to jet to Spain or Italy to check on a player's form and fitness.
For better or worse it is the top-flight of English football that will shape the chances of the national team when they head off to Russia next summer.
Southgate has three weekends of Premier League matches to watch as he puts together his squad for the next key dates, the qualifying double-header against Malta and Slovakia that could secure a place in the finals.
Those matches take place on Friday 1 September in Malta and Monday 4 September at Wembley against Slovakia, currently second in Group F and two points behind England.
The road to Russia so far to has been low-key, to say the least, as England have done the minimum required at Wembley and just about got away unscathed from their away trips to Slovakia, Slovenia and Glasgow.
Six points from these two games is the minimum requirement but a step up in performance would also be welcome, albeit both opponents are likely to make things as difficult as possible for Southgate's side to play with the freedom that has been seen in flashes against the better quality of friendly foe.
If further work is still needed on qualification it will come in the final group stage matches against Slovenia at Wembley on Thursday 5 October and away in Lithuania on Sunday 8 October.
Then comes the final key date of 2017, the draw for the World Cup itself.
That takes place in the imposing setting of the Kremlin on 1 December when the pomp and ceremony (and confusion) of the draw for the 2018 tournament takes place.
Southgate, the FA and England supporters who are travelling to Russia can then begin to plan their summer.