Gareth Southgate names England squad with Ivan Toney called up

Gareth Southgate has named his England team to take on Italy and Germany in the Nations League matches later this month, the last international break before the Qatar World Cup. The Three Lions boss has handed a first-time call-up to Ivan Toney, whilst recalling Jadon Sancho and Eric Dier to the squad.

The two competitive fixtures against European opposition provides Southgate with the perfect chance to tinker with his squad and consolidate his plans before the winter tournament on the horizon. However, he is without several key stars that are likely to be central to his plans.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford - who has been first-choice since Southgate's appointment - is ruled out with a thigh injury that could keep him sidelined for a month at the minimum. Manchester United star Marcus Rashford is also absent from the squad after Erik ten Hag confirmed he was injured.

After recent call-ups, West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi both retain their spot in the squad with hopes of being on the plane in a few months. Manchester United defender Harry Maguire also remains in the squad despite poor form at club level, with Southgate continuing to put faith in the 29-year-old.

The inclusion of Toney is arguably the most significant in the squad, with the striker hoping to stake a late claim as to why he should be considered as another option in the final third. The Brentford star has scored five and assisted two in six Premier League appearances so far this season, putting him on target to surpass his goal contributions tally of 17 in the previous campaign.

Toney was recently quizzed about whether he felt he was ready for international football, he told The Sportsman: "I feel ready to take on this challenge. Obviously, it's not for me to decide, but for Gareth Southgate to choose who he thinks is worthy of the job. I feel like I'm ready now, but all I can do is focus on the job I have at Brentford and give my best by scoring goals and providing assists."

England have not won an international match since March, drawing two and losing two since their victory over the Ivory Coast. Both of their defeats have come at the hands of Hungary, who beat the Three Lions 4-0 most recently.

Southgate's side are at risk of relegation in the Nations League having earned just two points so far, and he will need an instant reaction from his troops to drown out the noise of some supporters calling for him to be sacked. The former Middlesbrough claimed responsibility for the poor recent spell, saying: "I've just said to the players there [in the dressing room] that across the four matches it's my responsibility, I tried to balance looking at new players, tried to rest players that we couldn't keep flogging, but in the end, the teams I've selected haven't been strong enough to get the results in the two Hungary games."

Full squad: