West Ham stars Joe Hart and Aaron Cresswell have both been named in Gareth Southgate’s 28-man England squad to take on Malta and Slovakia at the start of next month.
The Three Lions first travel to Malta on September 1st, before welcoming Slovakia to Wembley three days later on the 4th for the back-to-back World Cup qualifiers.
Southgate’s side currently sit top of qualifying Group F after six games, having won 4 and drawn 2. Two more wins would all but seal World Cup qualification, unless England were to lose their final two games against Slovenia and Lithuania and Slovakia were to win theirs.
Amongst those helping to cause are Hammers stars Joe Hart and Aaron Cresswell. Hart is in line to make his 72nd cap for his country, while Cresswell could make only his 3rd. Michail Antonio – who was named in Southgate’s squad earlier this year but had to withdraw through injury – is left out.
Leicester City summer signing Harry Maguire has earned his first call up, as has Watford’s Nathaniel Chalobah.
Full squad
Keepers: Joe Hart, Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Tom Heaton
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand, Aaron Cresswell, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Michael Keane, Chris Smalling, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Nathaniel Chalobah, Jake Livermore, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Forwards: Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck, Jesse Lingard, Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Jermain Defoe, Daniel Sturridge.
