Gareth Southgate has handed Tyrick Mitchell and Kyle Walker-Peters their first senior international call-ups for England, as four players dropped out of the squad due to injury.
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale was the first player to withdraw from this month’s friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast at Wembley Stadium, London, after a muscle injury forced him to miss the Gunners’ win at Aston Villa on Saturday (19 March).
Southgate has consequently decided to turn to the safe hands of West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Johnstone, despite him conceding 13 goals in 10 appearances in 2022 and keeping only three clean sheets.
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold has withdrawn from the squad due to a hamstring injury, with Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell handed his first senior call-up as a replacement.
Mitchell’s call-up will see him join Palace teammates, Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher in the squad after the latter pair were selected in the original squad announcement last week.
Chelsea’s Reece James meanwhile is ruled out with a muscle injury which has sidelined the 22 year-old in recent weeks, meaning that Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters has been called up for the first time to the senior squad
Ollie Watkins meanwhile has been recalled in place of AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham who has withdrawn from the squad, due to an unspecified injury which has prevented him from joining the squad.
Here is England’s latest 25-man squad to face Switzerland and Ivory Coast on 26 and 29 March respectively in full.
Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (West Bromwich Albion), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley)
Defence: Conor Coady (Wolves), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace – on loan from Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton), Ben White (Arsenal)
Midfield: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace – on loan from Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)
Forward: Tammy Abraham (AS Roma), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
