Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

England squad: Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham called up by Gareth Southgate

Manchester United pair Jesse Lingard and Aaron Wan-Bissaka drop out, along with Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Thursday 03 October 2019 14:33 BST

Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham have broken into the Chelsea side (Getty)

Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori has been handed a first England call-up as team-mate Tammy Abraham also returns to Gareth Southgate‘s squad.

The Three Lions travel to take on the Czech Republic in Prague on October 11 before a trip to face Bulgaria three days later.

Tomori and Abraham were two of three players included this time around who had missed out on the previous squad, with Everton midfielder Fabian Delph also recalled.

Manchester United pair Jesse Lingard and Aaron Wan-Bissaka drop out, along with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Liverpool.

Tomori, who was born in Canada and represented them at Under-20 level, has established himself in Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side of late and is rewarded with a maiden senior England call-up.

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Show all 24

1/24Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

England XI and squad for Euro 2020

Gareth Southgate has the most exciting front line of a generation but has decisions to make in defence and midfield

PA

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Nick Pope

The Burnley goalkeeper is an excellent shot-stopper and a very competent backup to Pickford.

Getty Images

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Tom Heaton

Another extremely good shot-stopper, Heaton would also be a reliable option to call upon if injuries struck.

Action Images via Reuters

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Kyle Walker

Walker’s pace is his best asset, but he has proved at Man City that he is capable of playing in a technical set up. His attributes over that of Aaron Wan-Bissaka are more suited to Southgate’s style of play.

Action Images via Reuters

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Joe Gomez

Gomez has been very unlucky with injury, and needs a run of games to remind people that he is a very good centre-back. He is capable of defending, reading the game and at playing out from the back.

AFP/Getty Images

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - James Tarkowski

His clubmate Ben Mee has somehow alluded an international call up, but Tarkowski is a very talented defender who delivers a 7/10 minimum in almost every game.

Action Images via Reuters

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - James Tarkowski

Chilwell is still developing as a left-back at Leicester and is good, without excelling, both defensively and offensively.

REUTERS

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Declan Rice

Rice is another who’s enjoyed a quick rise to the England squad, and is a promising ball-winning midfielder. Without having top-level experience it is hard to argue for him to start over Henderson.

Action Images via Reuters

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Mason Mount

Mount, despite his age, has demonstrated his game-changing ability and possesses excellent decision-making ability that earmarks him ahead of more experienced midfielders.

REUTERS

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - James Maddison

Maddison perhaps operates best as a no.10, a position Southgate has not really used. However, his playmaking and set-piece abilities are a valuable weapon off of the bench despite not yet being capped.

REUTERS

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Another who needs to prove his fitness to remind people of his talent, Oxlade-Chamberlain is quick, can beat a man, and is capable of playing most midfield positions.

Getty Images

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Callum Hudson-Odoi

Hudson-Odoi has displayed a lot of ability in his short career at club and international level, and is another who is an excellent option to have from the bench.

Action Images via Reuters

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

Bench - Marcus Rashford

Rashford’s role in this squad is to provide coverage across the front line, and his pace and attacking versatility could prove very valuable later in the tournament.

Getty Images

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

GK - Jordan Pickford

Pickford has not quite progressed at the rate many thought he would when he first signed for Everton, but he remains a good stopper and his distribution is a useful tool for Southgate.

EPA

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

RB - Trent Alexander-Arnold

Although he is less defensively capable than his right-back contemporaries, Alexander-Arnold’s technical and set-piece abilities are a weapon that England should look to exploit.

REUTERS

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

CB - Harry Maguire

Despite giving away a penalty against Kosovo, Maguire is the most ‘solid’ out of England’s centre-backs and his aerial presence in both boxes can be game-changing.

Action Images via Reuters

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

CB - John Stones

Centre-back has been England’s Achilles heel for several years, with all of the candidates looking error-prone at times. Stones has experience and ball-playing ability on his side, which suits Southgate’s style of play.

PA

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

LB - Danny Rose

Rose gets the nod over Ben Chilwell because he is slightly more athletic and defensively capable and has the advantage of playing for a top club, making him more suited to the intensity of tournament football.

Getty Images

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

DM - Jordan Henderson

Although he has box-to-box capabilities, Henderson’s ability to sit back and allow other players to be more creative is invaluable and his contributions often go undervalued.

Action Images via Reuters

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

CM - Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Despite being currently injured, Loftus-Cheek at his peak is a devastating midfielder and has a fantastic talent for carrying the ball between the lines. Having said that, he must get fit and start regularly for Chelsea soon.

REUTERS

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

CM - Dele Alli

When England (hopefully) advance to the latter stages, they are likely to line up more defensively, but the dual threat of Alli and Loftus-Cheek in the final third could be very potent for the Three Lions.

Getty

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

LW - Raheem Sterling

Sterling has been in world-class form for the last two seasons and is one of the first names on the teamsheet. Playing in his favoured position on the left allows him to replicate his phenomenal performances for Manchester City.

EPA

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

RW - Jadon Sancho

Sancho is another who possesses frightening natural ability, but is equally capable of coming inside and playing quick passes as he is beating someone for pace and driving in a cross and should be a sure starter next summer.

Getty

Picking England's XI and squad for Euro 2020

ST - Harry Kane

Captain Kane is England’s only striker who plays at a high level for club, with Marcus Rashford preferred out wide for United. Kane has already demonstrated his scoring potential at a major tournament...

Getty

Abraham scored his eighth goal in 10 games in Chelsea’s 2-1 Champions League win over Lille on Wednesday night and is back in the squad having made his debut almost two years ago.

He featured in friendly matches against Germany and Brazil in November 2017 and remains eligible for Nigeria unless he picks up a competitive cap in the forthcoming games.

Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker is again a high-profile absentee, with Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold preferred.

Asked if it was an easy decision to include Abraham, Southgate said: “It was – he’s the leading English scorer in the league.

Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham have both received England call-ups (Getty)

“He’s a player that came into the squad very young, at a time when we wanted to have a look at players ahead of the World Cup.

“That was a bit early for him but now with the opportunity he’s been given by Frank, along with other English players at Chelsea, it’s a great chance for Tammy.

“He’s always scored goals with our junior teams, with the Chelsea youth teams, on loan in the Championship and now he’s really grasped this opportunity at the beginning of the season.”

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain drops out of the squad (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

Abraham remains eligible for Nigeria until he makes a competitive appearance for the Three Lions, but Southgate denied the dual-nationality issue influenced his inclusion or that of Tomori

“I haven’t discussed that with him, I’ve left it to Frank to have the conversation,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s ethically right to select someone just to make sure he can’t play for somebody else – Fik and Tammy are in on merit.

“They’ve both been part of our youth system, Fik came in a bit later but he was part of the team that won the (Under-17) World Cup – as far as we’re concerned they’re English players.”

PA

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies