Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw has been recalled to the England squad for meetings with Spain and Switzerland, with Liverpool duo Adam Lallana and Joe Gomez also drafted back in.
The Three Lions, fresh from reaching the semi-finals of World Cup 2018, have resisted the urge to tinker too much with their plans heading towards a next major tournament.
It had been suggested that the likes of teenage duo Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho – two U17 World Cup winners from 2017 – would be drafted into the senior fold, but there is no place for the Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund starlets at present.
Instead, Gareth Southgate is placing his faith in established stars on a Premier League stage.
He told the Football Association’s official website : “We’re obviously coming off the back of a successful summer, so I think there’s a good foundation for us to build on.
“With us only being three games into the season, I felt some continuity was important so those who were with us in the summer deserve the right to go again. Others haven’t really had the opportunity to force themselves ahead of those guys.
“From here we have a two-year lead into the European Championships, so I want us to try and capture what we had this summer and why they felt it went well – but, once we’re through this camp, there’s going to be competition from others. People are going to have to play at a good level to retain their places.”
Of the 23-man man party selected by the England, 18 members of the squad formed part of a run to the last four on Russian soil over the summer.
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Ashley Young is the only man to have been eased out of the fold, with his Old Trafford colleague Phil Jones and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope missing through injury.
The other World Cup heroes who are now absent are Gary Cahill and Jamie Vardy, with the Chelsea defender and Leicester striker opting to step away from the international scene and focus on their club careers.
Burnley centre-half James Tarkowski comes in to bolster the defensive ranks, alongside United left-back Shaw – who is called upon for the first time since March 2017.
Southampton’s Alex McCarthy joins Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland in the goalkeeping department, with the latter retaining his place despite now turning out for Stoke City in the Championship.
Gomez has enjoyed a solid start to the season at Liverpool, impressing alongside Virgil van Dijk at centre-half, and is brought back into the England squad after missing World Cup duty through injury.
His Anfield team-mate Lallana was on standby over the summer, but was not required, and he will be hoping to catch the eye when the Three Lions return to action in the first international break of 2018-19.
Southgate’s side are set to open their UEFA Nations League campaign against Spain at Wembley on September 8, before taking in a friendly date with Switzerland at the King Power Stadium three days later.
England squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Pickford, Butland, McCarthy
Defenders: Tripper, Walker, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Stones, Maguire, Tarkowski, Rose, Shaw
Midfielders: Dier, Delph, Henderson, Lallana, Lingard, Alli, Loftus-Cheek
Forwards: Kane, Sterling, Rashford, Welbeck.
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