Interim England manager Lee Carsley has named his first squad ahead of UEFA Nations League fixtures against Ireland and Finland – including a few surprise selections.
The core group from the Three Lions’ 2024 European Championship campaign remains the same, with the likes of Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka all featuring.
Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has been handed a surprise call-up, alongside Manchester City forward Jack Grealish.
Madueke has had a fine start to the season, netting a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 6-2 thrashing of Wolves, while Grealish is still struggling for regular minutes at City.
Alongside Madueke and Grealish are surprise inclusions like Levi Colwill, Valentino Livramento and Rico Lewis as well as Nottingham Forests’ Morgan Gibbs-White and Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.
Jude Bellingham misses out on the first international break of the season due to a knee injury suffered in training with Real Madrid.
England are first in action against Ireland on Saturday, September 7th before facing Finland on Tuesday, September 10th.
Full England squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United)
Defenders: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
White, Walker, Rashford fail to make squad
Arsenal defender Ben White, who earned the last of his four caps in March 2022, was again left out of the England squad after making himself unavailable for selection.
“As far as I am aware, he [White] wasn’t available for selection and nothing has changed in my two weeks. That’s where we are at with it,” said Carsley.
“He is a player I really like,” he later told 5 Live’s John Murray.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney, Manchester City defender Kyle Walker and Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who all went to Euro 2024, have also been left out of the 26-man England squad.
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham both miss out through injury, while United forward Marcus Rashford, Tottenham midfielder James Maddison and Crystal Palace youngster Adam Wharton failed to make the squad.
