England, Southgate promotes Toney and rejects Tomori and Abraham

England, who will face Italy in Naples on Thursday in their first Euro 2024 qualifying match, is ready. Coach Gareth Southgate, confirmed also after the elimination in the quarter-finals from the World Cup, has chosen 25 players, with 4 changes compared to Qatar. The most important is the call from Ivan Toney, the Brentford striker third best goalscorer in the Premier League behind Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.

RETURNS AND EXCLUSIONS

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Among the excluded there are also the two “Italians”, Fikayo Tomori of Milan and Tammy Abraham of Rome, excellent absences also in the list for the World Cup. The most important news are the returns of Reece James and Ben Chilwell, Chelsea wingers absent in Qatar due to injury. Slowly getting back in shape, the two are fundamental in the Blues’ attempt to reborn and are applying for a starting position in Naples. To make room for them, Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Liverpool winger who Southgate had brought to Qatar despite the criticism of his game, has remained out of the World Cup. Still no call-up for two Brighton stars, for whom De Zerbi is campaigning: Solly March (“We know him well, but in front of him I see Rashford, Grealish and Saka” said Southgate) and Lewis Dunk. Toney is the only one on Southgate’s list still without an international cap, and he’s joining the squad as the investigation into his 262 betting-related breaches has reached a point where, according to rumors, the forward has admitted much of his violations. “But he’s available for his club, so also for us – said Southgate -. He had an excellent season, I also saw him recently against Arsenal and I thought he was super”. Also controversial is the summons of Kyle Walker, who is under investigation by Manchester police for showing his attributes to a woman in a bar while he was drunk. “We talked for a long time – said the coach -. I don’t have to be the one to be moralistic: he is available for his club and the investigation is still ongoing”.

THE CALLED UP

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Here is Southgate’s list of 25 for Naples’ games with Italy in the 23 and with Ukraine at Wembley in the 26. GOALKEEPERS: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) DEFENDERS: Ben Chilwell and Reece James (Chelsea), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones and Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) MIDDLE FIELDS: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (Newcastle) FORWARDS: Phil Foden and Jack Grealish (Manchester City) , Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Brentford)