August 29th 2024.
Lee Carsley, the new interim manager for the England national team, has just announced his first squad for the upcoming Nations League matches. Carsley, who previously coached the England Under-21 team, took over after Gareth Southgate resigned following England's defeat in the Euro 2024 final. Despite sticking with many of the players who were part of that final, Carsley has also made some surprise decisions, including recalling Manchester City's Jack Grealish and giving first senior call-ups to Chelsea's Noni Madueke and Lille's Angel Gomes.
Grealish, who was cut from the final 26-man squad for the European Championship, has only played 20 minutes for City this season. However, Carsley has decided to give him another chance. Madueke, who previously worked with Carsley at the U21 level, has been rewarded for his impressive start to the season, which included a hat-trick against Wolves last weekend. The winger's Chelsea teammate Levi Colwill has also been called up for the senior squad after making his debut against Australia last year.
But perhaps the most surprising inclusion in Carsley's squad is former Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes. The 21-year-old has been playing in Ligue 1 with Lille and was a key player in Carsley's U21 team that won the European Championship last summer. Along with Gomes, Newcastle defender Tino Livramento and Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White have also received their first senior call-ups.
Carsley had high praise for both Gomes and Gibbs-White, saying that they are both used to winning and were part of England's U17 World Cup team a few years ago. He also described Gomes as a very technical and determined player, while Gibbs-White is known for his energy and creativity. Both players have been successful for England in the past, which is an important factor for Carsley when making his selections.
The 26-man squad also includes familiar names such as Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Declan Rice, as well as returning players like Harry Maguire who missed out on the Euros. However, there are some notable absences, including Kyle Walker who has not played for Manchester City yet this season, and Marcus Rashford who has started both league games for Ajax. Players like Ivan Toney, Aaron Ramsdale, and Lewis Dunk, who were part of the Euros squad, have also been left out.
One player who continues to be left out of the squad is Arsenal defender Ben White. According to reports, White has not changed his decision to make himself unavailable for selection since his falling out with Southgate's assistant coach during the 2022 World Cup. Another notable absence is Kieran Trippier, who announced his retirement from international football just hours before the squad was announced.
England will face Ireland and Finland in their upcoming Nations League matches. This will be the first time they will be competing in League B after being relegated from League A in 2022 due to a series of disappointing results. With Carsley at the helm, fans are hopeful that the team will bounce back and prove themselves in the upcoming matches.
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