England squad announced as Harry Maguire axed, Gibbs-White decision made and three stars return

Interim England boss Lee Carsley has named his squad for the upcoming Nations League double header with Greece and Finland, with four changes made from last month's selection

England's interim boss, Lee Carsley, has omitted Harry Maguire from the 25-man squad for the Nations League double header against Greece and Finland. Although Maguire is fit and has travelled with Manchester United for their Europa League tie in Porto, he has not been selected.

Meanwhile, Kyle Walker, who was left out last month, has been given a reprieve. The only new addition to the squad is Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke, who has caught Carsley's eye with his "attributes I really like".

Players like Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, and Phil Foden, who were previously injured, have regained their fitness and secured spots in the squad. However, Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, and Tino Livramento have not been included. Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is also named.

Carsley has stated that he will only choose players who are in form and playing regularly for their clubs, and emphasized that those who were dropped have a valid case for inclusion, but it's "important that it wasn't just a copy and a paste job". He added: "I want players to earn their place. It's just a chance to look at others."

Maguire's inconsistent appearances for United under Erik ten Hag, with Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez being the preferred centre-back pairing, may have contributed to his exclusion, reports the Mirror.

Despite being a regular under Gareth Southgate, Maguire's recent club performances have not been enough to convince Carsley. Meanwhile, Solanke joins Ollie Watkins in providing robust support for the team's leading forward, Harry Kane. .

Carsley expressed confidence in managing the abundant skill set at his disposal, "It's a challenge with the squad that we've got, we've got so many talented players. We always look at finding the right balance, who complements who in terms of the way that we play. I try not to get too caught up in positions, it's more the attributes and the way we can potentially attack the opposition. All three are excellent players, as are the rest of the squad."

With Trent Alexander-Arnold primed to resume his duties at right-back after an impressive performance last month, Kyle Walker's inclusion following his return from hiatus has also been confirmed. On Walker's comeback, Carsley remarked: "We spoke before the last squad announcement, when he literally hadn't played a minute for Manchester City," acknowledging the value Walker brings not only on the pitch but also in guiding emerging talent within the ranks, "He's a player we're looking forward to having back. I've never worked with him but I think what he's done in the past for England, he's a player that I'm sure can help our younger players as well."

However, concerns linger over the left-back position, which might see Man City's Rico Lewis or Chelsea's Levi Colwill stepping into the role, due to a lack of natural left-sided defenders.

Squad in Full.

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Rico Lewis, John Stones, Kyle Walker.

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Conor Gallagher, Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice.

Forwards: Anthony Gordon, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins

What do you make of the selection? Have your say here

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