Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis have been called into the England squad for the first time and Lee Carsley has kept faith with Jack Grealish despite the forward not being involved in the past five Manchester City squads because of injury.
Carsley, preparing for his final two games in interim charge before Thomas Tuchel takes over, has not included Grealish’s club-mate John Stones or the Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, with Aaron Ramsdale returning to the squad. Declan Rice is in after missing Arsenal’s game at Inter on Wednesday.
Curtis Jones, a late addition to the last squad after withdrawals, has made the cut and will hope to win his first cap but there is no Kobbie Mainoo, who is injured. Carsley said Tuchel had had no influence over the selection but that he had congratulated the German on his appointment and that they had exchanged text messages.
Carsley said it was a “good challenge” for Hall to try to hold down a place in the squad at left-back, where options are scarcer than in other positions. Carsley did not call up a specialist left-back in his last squad in the absence of the injured Luke Shaw.
Harwood-Bellis, who has been the captain of Carsley’s under-21s, came through the City academy and had various loans, including at Southampton last season, before making a permanent move last summer. Carsley previously worked as City’s under-18s manager and first encountered the defender from there.
Carsley, who will return to the under-21s, said he and his staff were “a lot better” for their time with the senior squad after being taken “right out of the comfort zone we are used to”. Reflecting on an experience he said he had enjoyed, he added: “It’s only natural to doubt whether you could do it or not. There’s definitely been moments when I’ve been driving the car where it’s sunk in that I’m England manager and the responsibility that goes with that. And it’s not something I take for granted.”
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England play Nations League games in Greece next Thursday and at home to the Republic of Ireland three days later. England’s defeat by Greece at Wembley has left them second in Group B2, which would earn a promotion playoff spot.
Source: theguardian.com
