Gareth Southgate and England have made several amendments to the squad with injuries plaguing key players; James Ward-Prowse and Ben Chilwell are two players who have come in to fill those positions.
The pair are joined by former Chelsea and now Roma striker, Tammy Abraham, as the squad prepares for October’s World Cup Qualifiers. It is the 24-year-old’s first call-up since 2019 and he will be getting a big chance, considering Captain Harry Kane’s poor league form since his return to action.
Injuries to Harry Maguire, Kalvin Phillips, Reece James, and Trent Alexander-Arnold ruled them out for the games, leading to others getting an opportunity.
Good vibes as the lads arrive at St. George's Park 😀 pic.twitter.com/akpYIpXpD8
— England (@England) October 5, 2021
Southampton’s Ward-Prowse, who many argued was unlucky to miss out on the Euro 2020 squad, is included to fill Phillips’ position.
England takes on Andorra away on the 9th of October, followed by Hungary at Wembley three days later. The Three Lions currently sit at the top of Group I, with 16 points from six games.
An update from the #ThreeLions camp:
— England (@England) October 5, 2021
Chilwell, who many will think is a surprise inclusion – returns to the squad after not featuring in England’s Euro 2020 run – a period in which his manager Thomas Tuchel said left him “mentally tired”.
Since the summer, Chilwell has only appeared in two games for his club, with his first league game coming against Southampton in the last fixture before this international break, in which the left-back scored.
Other players include former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale, who ended up in the Euro 2020 squad as Dean Henderson dropped out.
England will look to stay unbeaten in their next two qualifiers, as they take one more step to next year’s World Cup.