Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount and James Maddison have been handed their first senior England call-ups as Gareth Southgate plumped for arguably the boldest squad selection of his reign.
Fresh from signing a new deal through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 48-year-old England boss raised eyebrows with his 25-man selection for the Nations League double-header with Croatia and Spain.
Exciting Borussia Dortmund 18-year-old Sancho has been selected for this month’s fixtures, and so too Mount after shining for Sky Bet Championship side Derby since joining from Chelsea on loan.
Former Norwich player Maddison has been rewarded for his first fine start to life at Leicester, while uncapped Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah is back in the squad after recovering from a long-term knee injury.
Harry Winks, capped once, returns the day after starting for Tottenham against Barcelona in the Champions League, and Ross Barkley’s upturn in fortunes at Chelsea means he is in line to win his first cap since the friendly against Australia in May 2016.
BREAKING: 19-year-old Chelsea loanee Mason Mount named in Gareth Southgate's latest England squad!
— TeamFA (@TeamFA) October 4, 2018
HUGE call from GS 😳 pic.twitter.com/YxkeRzHYTf
Injuries and game-time have led to Southgate’s squad changes as much as the form of those called-up.
Dele Alli is out with a hamstring injury, while the England boss has not selected Fabian Delph, Adam Lallana and Jesse Lingard given the question marks over their fitness.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has not played for Chelsea since starting for England against Switzerland, has also been left out.
The uncapped duo of Marcus Bettinelli and Alex McCarthy again join up with Southgate’s goalkeepers.
England squad to face Spain and Croatia
GOALKEEPERS
Marcus Bettinelli (Fulham)
Jack Butland (Stoke City)
Alex McCarthy (Southampton)
Jordan Pickford (Everton)
DEFENDERS
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Harry Maguire (Leicester City)
Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur)
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
John Stones (Manchester City)
James Tarkowski (Burnley)
Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur)
Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
MID-FIELDERS
Ross Barkley (Chelsea)
Nathaniel Chalobah (Watford)
Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur)
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
James Maddison (Leicester City)
Mason Mount (on loan at Derby County from Chelsea)
Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur)
FORWARDS
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)
