Fikayo Tomori is rewarded for his fine form with AC Milan as he replaces injured Harry Maguire in the England squad… but Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Reece James are all fit to feature
- Gareth Southgate has named his squad for matches with Andorra and Hungary
- England manager faces a defensive headache with regulars ruled out
- Harry Maguire has a calf injury, with Fikayo Tomori called into the squad as cover
- Trent Alexander-Arnold also misses out with injury problems but Reece James in
- Striker Ollie Watkins returns to the squad in place of Patrick Bamford
Fikayo Tomori has been handed an England recall by Gareth Southgate after Harry Maguire was ruled out through injury.
Ollie Watkins is back in the squad in place of Patrick Bamford, who made his international debut last month.
England are set for two World Cup qualifiers away to Andorra on October 9 and at home to Hungary three days later.
Harry Maguire’s calf injury has ruled him out of the latest England squad named by Gareth Southgate on Thursday ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary
AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori (right) has been called into the England squad
England manager Gareth Southgate was at Old Trafford when Maguire went off last weekend
United captain Maguire has a calf injury and went off midway through the second-half in their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa last Saturday. His manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he will be out for ‘a few weeks’.
Right-back Alexander-Arnold has a groin injury and didn’t travel with Liverpool to Porto for their Champions League match in midweek.
Chelsea wing-back James has an ankle injury and limped off during their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend but is included for the international double-header.
Chelsea’s Reece James is in the squad despite picking up an ankle injury last weekend
Southgate had said prior to the squad announcement he would ease Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez back into the international scene after he returned to action following 10 months out with a serious knee injury.
Maguire’s absence compounds Southgate’s central defensive issues with John Stones, another first choice, yet to play a single minute for Manchester City this season.
But Stones does make the squad and could partner Tomori, Conor Coady or Tyrone Mings.
On Tomori, who has started the season impressively at AC Milan, Southgate said:
‘He’s playing at a club where there’s an expectation to win every week, so he’s performing under pressure.
‘I like Fikayo in terms of his aggressiveness as a defender. Because he’s got speed he’s confident enough to defend on the front foot and his use of the ball is improving all the time.’
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins (left) is recalled to the England squad for October’s internationals
Leeds United forward Bamford was given a chance to impress in last month’s World Cup qualifiers against Hungary, Andorra and Poland but doesn’t make it this time with Watkins coming back in.
Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale gets a call-up and Manchester City’s Phil Foden is back in after missing last month’s games through injury.
There’s no Jude Bellingham either despite a good start to the season with Borussia Dortmund but Chelsea’s Mason Mount is in despite recent injury issues.
England are in control of Group I with four matches left to play. They lead Albania by four points and are five ahead of Poland. Southgate’s men need eight points from their remaining four games to be assured of a place in Qatar.
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