England squad announcement as it happened: Gareth Southgate names uncapped foursome for Nations League
Southgate has signed a new four-year contract as England manager on the same day he called up several fresh faces to the senior setup
Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, James Maddison and Nathaniel Chalobah have been included in England's squad for Nations League meetings with Croatia and Spain.
Gareth Southgate has put his faith in the four uncapped youngsters, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli and Manchester United's Jesse Lingard unavailable through injury.
Nations League, League A, Group 4
England 1 Spain 2
8 September 2018
Spain 6 Croatia 0
11 September 2018
Croatia v England
12 October 2018
Spain v England
15 October 2018
Croatia v Spain
15 November 2018
England v Croatia
18 November 2018
Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of England's squad announcement for the forthcoming Nations League meetings with Croatia and Spain.
Gareth Southgate is expected to sign a new four-year contract with England at St George's Park on Thursday, extending his spell as manager of the national team until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Southgate will also announce his squad for this month's daunting trips to Rijeka and Seville, which will go a long way to deciding England's fate in Group 4 of Uefa's new competition.
England lost their inaugural Nations League game - falling to a 2-1 defeat against Spain at Wembley last month. Luis Enrique's side sit top of the group after thumping Croatia 6-0 - the heaviest defeat in the World Cup finalists' history.
Who's in and who's out?
Southgate is expected to once again keep faith with those who served him well at this summer's World Cup in Russia, though a spate of injuries could lead to some new faces joining up with the squad.
Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli is out with a hamstring problem while Manchester United's Jesse Lingard recent struggles with a groin issue are likely to see him stay at home.
Adam Lallana, injured when called up to last month's squad, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, out of favour at Chelsea, may also miss out.
James Maddison, the uncapped 21-year-old playmaker, is expected to be included after an impressive start to life at Leicester City, with three goals and two assists in his seven Premier League appearances so far.
Others in contention include Harry Winks, Conor Coady and Daniel Sturridge, though Southgate may ultimately decide these two testing competitive fixtures are not the time to experiment.
How does the Nations League work again?
It has been less than a month since England's 2-1 defeat to Spain at Wembley in their inaugural Nations League fixture, but you could be forgiven for forgetting just how Uefa's new, exciting but somehwat complicated tournament works.
Here's a handy guide to everything you need to know...
Southgate's new contract
It is understood that Southgate's new contract will see his salary jump to £2.5million-a-year.
It is a just reward for guiding England to their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years this summer and enough for a wardrobe of M&S waistcoats.
Nations League, League A, Group 4
A reminder of how things stand in England's group...
Defeats in Rijeka and Seville would leave Southgate's side in a precarious position, but Spain's shellacking of Croatia helped their cause immensely.
Gareth Southgate signs contract up to 2022
Gareth Southgate has signed a new contract to remain as the England manager for the 2022 World Cup.
Southgate’s new four-year deal, understood to increase his salary to £2.5million-a-year, is a reward for guiding England to their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years this summer.
The 48-year-old’s previous terms were set to expire following the 2020 European Championship.
Steve Holland, Southgate’s assistant manager, has also agreed a new, four-year deal.
Southgate speaks: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the national team through the next two major tournaments. The job remains an incredible privilege and a true honour.
“Experiencing at first-hand how the nation united behind the team this summer was something special and it will be great to see how far this young squad can go in the years to come.
“I must acknowledge the hard work and commitment of my staff and the players over the last two years.
“I have learned a great deal from them and their passion and professionalism in representing England has been an inspiration to my own work. In particular, Steve Holland who I’m pleased to be continuing to work alongside through to 2022.”
Gareth Southgate and Martin Glenn, the FA's chief executive, are now holding a press conference to discuss the England manager's new contract.
The squad announcement will follow around 2.30pm.
Glenn says Southgate has hardly put a foot wrong since taking on the role in 2016 - "save for when he goes running".
"It's not all about winning tournaments but I believe we will win a World Cup at some point in the not too distant future," Glenn adds.
Glenn says he expects England to be more consistent challengers at international tournaments in the future.
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