Ivan Toney has been handed a call-up by England but Raheem Sterling, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben White have all been left out of the squad for this month's Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.
Brentford striker Toney - who has not been capped by England - is the third top scorer in the Premier League with 16 goals, although he could face a lengthy ban in the near future for alleged breaches of the FA's gambling rules.
But Gareth Southgate said there was no basis on which not to pick the striker, saying: "The fact is that Ivan is available for his club. There hasn't been a trial or any judgement as yet so I don't know on what basis we wouldn't pick him.
"He's playing really well. I like his presence in games and he deserves his opportunity."
Sterling - who missed Chelsea's win over Leicester last weekend - featured in three of England's five matches at the World Cup in December but was not involved in the last-16 win over Senegal after flying home following a break-in at his home.
Comments
Post a Comment