Cole's senior absence aids Platt's selection

The West Ham United midfielder Joe Cole is back in the England Under-21 squad for the first time in 14 months for their European Championship double-header with Slovakia and Macedonia.

Cole last played for David Platt's side when he scored in the 2-1 success over Germany in Freiburg in August 2001. Since then Cole has figured in the senior squad and was part of the pool who went to the World Cup finals this summer.

But now he is surprisingly back with the Under-21s – along with his Hammers' midfield team-mate Michael Carrick – as part of a squad which includes five newcomers.

Platt has called up three defenders Stoke City's Karl Henry, Michael Dawson of Nottingham Forest and Tony Hibbert of Everton, along with the Bolton midfielder Kevin Nolan and the Wolves goalkeeper Matt Murray.

ENGLAND UNDER-21 SQUAD: (European Under-21 Championship v Slovakia, 11 Oct, Trnava; v Macedonia, 15 Oct, Reading): Kirkland (Liverpool), Howarth (York), Murray (Wolves), Barry (Aston Villa, capt), Konchesky (Charlton), Taylor (Portsmouth), Bramble (Newcastle), Clarke (Everton, on loan to Blackpool), Lescott (Wolves), Parnaby (Middlesbrough), Samuel (Aston Villa), Hibbert (Everton), Dawson (Nottingham Forest), Jenas (Newcastle), Cole (West Ham), Carrick (West Ham), Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Pennant (Arsenal), Piper (Sunderland), Prutton (Nottingham Forest), Henry (Stoke), Nolan (Bolton), Jeffers (Arsenal), Ameobi (Newcastle), Defoe (West Ham), Crouch (Aston Villa), Zamora (Brighton).