MX23RW : Saturday, January 18 21:28:23| >> :600:1075931:1075931:

Five talking points from England squad as James Maddison returns

Five talking points from England squad as James Maddison returns
© Reuters
There were recalls for John Stones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Gareth Southgate has named his England squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Montenegro and Kosovo.

The Three Lions host Montenegro on November 14 – which will be England's 1,000th international – before travelling to Pristina three days later, with Southgate's side needing just one point to secure their place at Euro 2020.

John Stones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Callum Hudson-Odoi have earned recalls by Southgate, with James Maddison and Fikayo Tomori the only uncapped players in the 27-man squad.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the talking points surrounding England's selections.

Southgate gambles on Maddison

Maddison has been selected by England boss Southgate
Maddison has been selected by England boss Southgate (Richard Sellers/PA)

The England boss remained coy on whether the Leicester midfielder would be in the November squad when Maddison was pictured in a casino shortly after his withdrawal from the squad through illness last month.

Southgate said Maddison, who was out until the early hours of the morning before England's 2-1 loss in the Czech Republic, learned a valuable lesson about the increased spotlight surrounding the player and vowed to speak to him ahead of the upcoming games.

However, Maddison's fine form for Leicester – who sit third in the Premier League table – could not be ignored and he remains part of Southgate's plans.

England's 147-year heritage recognised

England shirts will have players' heritage number printed on them for the Montenegro clash
England shirts will have players' heritage number printed on them for the Montenegro clash (Eddie Keogh for The FA/PA)

Wembley will host England's 1,000th international match when Montenegro come to visit on November 14 and will celebrate by wearing legacy numbers.

Every player to represent the Three Lions in the last 147 years will have their own number, with most-recently capped Tyrone Mings wearing the number 1,244.

The legacy number will be printed under the badge for the Montenegro game after special dispensation by UEFA, with England retaining the numbers following the November 14 clash, but with them moved to the collar. Maddison and Tomori are the only players in the squad without a number at present.

Grealish misses out again

Jack Grealish continues to miss out on Southgate's squad
Jack Grealish continues to miss out on Southgate's squad (Martin Rickett/PA)

The Aston Villa captain looked a shoo-in for the England squad after some fine displays in central midfield.

Grealish has two goals and three assists from 10 Premier League appearances this season and could be the creative spark that England fans crave in the middle of the park.

The 24-year-old missed his side's dramatic 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last week due to a calf injury, which could have played a part in Southgate's thinking, but it is still surprising to see Grealish's name omitted from the squad list.

Chelsea's young stars continue to shine

Tammy Abraham (left), Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount (right) have been mainstays in the Chelsea team this season
Tammy Abraham (left), Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount (right) have been mainstays in the Chelsea team this season (Nick Potts/PA)

Frank Lampard's opportunity to use Chelsea's academy products due to their transfer ban appears to be benefiting the Three Lions.

Winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has been recalled by Southgate following his recovery from a serious Achilles injury to join team-mates Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham in the England fold.

The latter three have been a mainstay in the Chelsea side which sit fourth in the Premier League and top Group H in the Champions League.

There is a concern over the fitness of Mount, who limped with an ankle injury during midweek's crazy 4-4 draw at home to Ajax, but Barkley has been a favourite of Southgate in recent times and could cement his place in the starting line-up at Wembley.

Tomori to get his chance?

Tomori (left) has impressed since breaking into Chelsea's starting line-up
Tomori (left) has impressed since breaking into Chelsea's starting line-up (Nick Potts/PA)

The Chelsea centre-back was selected for October's international break but could not force his way into team to make his England debut.

However, his chances of making his first appearance seemed to have improved with England needing just one point to qualify for Euro 2020 and, if they defeat Montenegro, then Southgate could ring the changes for the trip to Kosovo.

Michael Keane, who started in the 2-1 defeat in Prague, has not been selected this time around but Manchester City defender John Stones has been recalled following a return from injury, while Mings was picked ahead of him for the Bulgaria match.

ID:377844: cacheID:377844:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:13893:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is all smiles on September 28, 2019
Read Next:
Eddie Howe: 'England recognition not beyond Steve Cook on current form'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool21155150203050
2Arsenal21127241192243
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest21125430201041
4Newcastle UnitedNewcastle22115638261238
5Chelsea21107441261537
6Bournemouth22107536261037
7Manchester CityMan City2110563829935
8Aston Villa2110563132-135
9Fulham228953430433
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2171043229331
11Brentford2284104039128
12Crystal Palace226972528-327
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd217592629-326
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2275102743-1626
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs21731143321124
16Everton203891526-1117
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2144133148-1716
18Ipswich TownIpswich2137112037-1716
19Leicester CityLeicester2235142348-2514
20Southampton2113171347-346


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!