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England's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers has been confirmed, with Fikayo Tomori getting the nod over Ben White.

The former Chelsea star has impressed since his move to AC Milan and earns his second international call up.

Tomori left Chelsea to join AC Milan on a permanent deal
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Tomori left Chelsea to join AC Milan on a permanent dealCredit: Getty
White has impressed for Arsenal in recent weeks but misses out
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White has impressed for Arsenal in recent weeks but misses outCredit: Getty

Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Manchester United's Mason Greenwood were also left out as Southgate attempts to manage their game time.

He explained: "They don't come as a pair but they're both in similar situations, they are young players with heavy workloads at the moment.

"I've spoken to both of them. Jude at the moment is playing a high level of matches with Champions League games, league games.

Bellingham has been on fire this season
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Bellingham has been on fire this seasonCredit: Getty
Greenwood has been in fine form too
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Greenwood has been in fine form tooCredit: Getty

"As an 18-year-old he had a full season last season and then into the Euros with no break. We have to remember these lads are still physically growing, so when we talk about young player development we have to be really careful in how we handle them.

"These are two players we think can be really exciting for England's future. We don't want to overload them, we want to make sure we are making the right decisions with them."

Southgate has a long injury list, with defenders Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold both out.

Reece James and Luke Shaw both suffered knocks recently, but make the squad.

John Stones has hardly played for Manchester City this season having lost his place, but keeps his spot for England.

At the other end of the pitch, Dominic Calvert Lewin, Patrick Bamford and Marcus Rashford are all currently sidelined.

Southgate is without several key players
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Southgate is without several key playersCredit: Getty

However, Southgate will be pleased to offer opportunities to players on the fringe of the international set-up.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden, and Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale also return to the fold.

The Three Lions can seal their place at the 2022 tournament with two victories in the upcoming matches against Andorra and Hungary, if other results go their way.

Emile Smith Rowe was perhaps unlucky to miss out, but Southgate admitted the young Arsenal star was not far away.

“He is a player we like a lot and was very close to making this squad," the England boss said.

“At this moment in time, I don’t want to bring in any more younger players out of the Under-21s. They have got to earn that right over a longer period.

“I thought his performance against Tottenham was very good, we know how he finished last season as well. I can only say he is a player we really like and he was close.”

Confirmed England squad

Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale.

Defenders: Conor Coady, Reece James, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Fikayo Tomori, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker.

Midfielders: Phil Foden, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Mason Mount, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice.

Forwards: Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Ollie Watkins.

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