MY ACCOUNT
Gareth Southgate has gifted Ivan Toney the perfect birthday present by recalling him to the England squad.
The Bees striker, 27, has bagged 16 goals in 24 Premier League outings this term and has been a pivotal figure in firing Thomas Frank’s men into European contention.
The marksman is facing 262 FA charges relating to the breach of betting rules, yet Southgate has seen fit to include him in his squad to face Italy and Ukraine with the investigation ongoing.
Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling, who has been a regular for his nation under Southgate’s stewardship, has missed out on a call-up, though his club team-mate Ben Chilwell is back in the fold.
Elsewhere, struggling Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold has been dropped in favour of Blues wing-back Reece James, while Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi replaces Conor Coady.
Callum Wilson, who was part of the Three Lions’ squad at Qatar 2022, has also not been included on this occasion after a quite period with Newcastle.
The Three Lions kick off their Euro 2024 qualification campaign with a trip to Naples to face Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri on March 23, before welcoming Ukraine to Wembley four days later.
The Italy game will be a fourth meeting between the two nations in less than two years, with England having lost the delayed Euro 2020 final in a heartbreaking penalty shootout before taking just one point from two Nations League clashes last year.
Few surprises
Aside from Toney, who’s absence was only widely pre-empted due to off-field issues, there are not too many surprises in Southgate’s 25-man squad.
The absence of Sterling, who now has 20 goals in 82 caps for the Three Lions, is largely down to injury — Graham Potter reporting the 28-year-old is currently nursing a hamstring issue.
Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold can have few complaints about his omission, having been a notable underperformer in a struggling Liverpool side this season.
The return of Blues ace James, 23, is a welcome sight after the dynamic defender missed last year’s winter World Cup in Qatar via a cruel knee injury.
James had hinted in a social meida post prior to the tournament that he wanted to try and play a part, though any disagreement between him and his international manager appears to have been resolved.
On-loan Everton defender Coady, 30, has always been a popular but peripheral figure in recent squads so it is perhaps unsurpising that Southgate has somewhat looked towards the future with Palace youngster Guehi.
Despite his club’s recent struggles, Guehi has largely impressed in 26 top-flight outings this term and will hope to add to his three senior caps in the upcoming double-header.
Full England squad to face Italy and Ukraine:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcaslte), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Eric Dier (Totttenham), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham)
Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford)
