Raheem Sterling has been omitted from the England squad while Eddie Nketiah was handed a first senior call-up by Gareth Southgate for the games against Ukraine and Scotland. Sterling, who missed the summer internationals when he said he did not feel in the right condition to play, was a candidate for a recall after starting the season in fine form for Chelsea but Southgate preferred Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace. Southgate said it was a tough phone call and Sterling was left annoyed to be omitted, revealing: “It was a difficult call and Raheem is not particularly happy about it.” The England manager, who also chose Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and James Maddison ahead of Sterling, explained that he wanted to stick with the players he used for the June wins over Malta and North Macedonia. “To bring Raheem back in we have to leave someone else out and on the basis of three games [of the league season] I don’t think anyone deserves to be left out,” he added. “It is really good to see Raheem start the season so well and he looks fit and hungry but in those attacking positions behind the No 9 we have a lot of competition.” Arsenal striker Nketiah, who has scored 16 goals for England’s Under-21 team, was selected ahead of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins as the third specialist striker behind Harry Kane and Callum Wilson. “We want to have a look at him,” Southgate said. “He is a young player with a lot of pedigree, a really good finisher and the record goalscorer in the Under-21s.” The manager also kept faith with Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips, who have played no first-team football for Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, with defensive injuries a reason why he picked the former. Southgate said: “With Harry Maguire we have lost a lot of experience in terms of caps at centre halves, we are giving some less experienced players a chance to come into the squad but Tyrone [Mings] is out for most of the season, John Stones is out of this camp, Eric Dier is not in Tottenham’s squad, Conor Coady is in the Championship now so there is a space there. With Harry and Kalvin Phillips, it is not ideal they are not playing football. Declan Rice is the only English player to start this weekend as a single pivot and Kalvin is the next best option.” Jordan Henderson, who has moved to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, retained his place in the squad with Southgate saying his international future could depend on the standard of the Pro-League. “The key as we move forward is the physical intensity of the league,” said Southgate. “Because of the heat as well, whether that will allow him to perform at the level we need; that is a huge consideration.” In a defence without the injured Stones, Mings and Luke Shaw, there were call-ups for Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk and the uncapped Levi Colwill. “He is doing really well,” Southgate said of Colwill. “He is progressing. We really liked him at the end of last season with Brighton. He had a really good tournament with the Under-21s so he showed under pressure he could cope. He has started well with Chelsea in a slightly different position.” Full squad Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City) Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United) Read More Manchester United left with Luke Shaw injury dilemma Why are England wearing their blue kit against Spain? What time is the Champions League group stage draw today? What time is the Champions League group stage draw today? Champions League group stage draw LIVE: Man City, Man Utd and more discover fate Is the Champions League draw on TV? Channel, start time and how to watch

Inter Milan reached their first Champions League final for 13 years as Lautaro Martinez's sole goal of the match gave them a 3-0 aggregate win...

By Dan Williams JERUSALEM A top Israeli lawmaker said on Sunday that any forging of relations with Saudi

Mexican Coca-Cola bottler Femsa is in talks to sell a US packaging and food services business to private

Allison Gaiser, 44, allegedly abandoned her seven-year-old dog in a stroller on August 4 because she 'didn’t have a crate for the pet,' police said

By Nate Raymond BOSTON The U.S. Department of Justice heads to trial on Tuesday to urge a federal

By Jorge Garcia and Mike Blake KAHULUI, Hawaii A week after a ferocious wildfire ravaged the Maui resort

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom Westbrook Stocks are up, U.S. interest rate

WASHINGTON Lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Friday renewed public calls for an investigation into the allegations of sexual

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie launched his campaign for president on Tuesday at a town hall in Manchester, New Hampshire. This is the second time Mr Christie has made a bid for the White House, the first being in 2016 when he lost to former president Donald Trump. Though Mr Christie lent his support to Mr Trump in 2016 when he dropped out of the race, he has since changed his opinion of the former president and become a vocal critic of Mr Trump. That was evident on Tuesday, as he denounced his former ally as a corrupt narcissist and vowed to draw blood in his quest for the Republican nomination. He did so several times during the town hall event, including at one point when he tore into the former president’s family for “breathtaking” levels of corruption and “grift” that he said followed them through the White House and beyond. The former New Jersey governor plans to position himself as a moderate Republican alternative to both Mr Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while promising an aggressive campaign unafraid to punch at his rivals. Read More Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024 Chris Christie targets his ‘divisive’ former friend Donald Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle Mike Pence suffered the wrath of Trump. Now the ex-vice president wants his old boss’s job in 2024

Israel’s military and rescue services say attacks by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group have wounded seven Israeli troops and 10 other people

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 21, 2023--