England interim manager Lee Carsley has handed three surprise call-ups to his first Three Lions squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.
Carsley, who previously coached the England Under-21 side, stepped up to replace Gareth Southgate following his resignation after the Three Lions’ defeat in the Euro 2024 final.
The 50-year-old has largely stuck with the same squad that England took to Germany, but has handed a surprise recall to Manchester City’s Jack Grealish as well as a first senior call-ups to Chelsea’s Noni Madueke and Lille’s Angel Gomes.
Grealish was cut from England’s final 26-man squad for the European Championship and has played just 20 minutes for City so far this season.
Madueke, who worked under Carsley at U21 level, is rewarded for his impressive start for the season which included a hat-trick against Wolves last weekend.
The winger is joined in the Three Lions squad by Chelsea teammate Levi Colwill who earns a recall to the senior side having made his debut against Australia in October last year.
There is also a surprise inclusion handed to former Manchester United midfielder Gomes who has impressed in Ligue 1 with Lille and was a key cog in Carsley’s England side that won the European Under-21 Championship last summer.
Newcastle defender Tino Livramento and Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White are two others also handed their first senior call-ups.
There is still no place in the squad for Arsenal defender Ben White who hasn’t played for his country since a nasty fall-out with Gareth Southgate’s No.2 Steve Holland at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
White made himself unavailable for selection at the Euros and has reportedly not changed that decision since Southgate’s departure.
England’s 26-man squad in full
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
And there is no place, too, for Kieran Trippier who announced his retirement from international football just hours before Thursday’s squad announcement.
Kyle Walker also misses out having not played so far this season for City, while Jude Bellingham and Luke Shaw are both unavailable for selection due to injury.
United defender Harry Maguire comes back into the side having missed out on the Euros, with Joe Gomez the centre-back dropping out in his place.
England face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday before returning to Wembley to take on Finland on Tuesday.
The Three Lions find themselves in League B of the Nations League for the first time, after a disastrous set of results saw them relegated from League A in 2022.
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