Raheem Sterling has been omitted from the England squad while Eddie Nketiah was handed a first senior call-up by Gareth Southgate for the games against Ukraine and Scotland.
Sterling, who missed the summer internationals when he said he did not feel in the right condition to play, was a candidate for a recall after starting the season in fine form for Chelsea but Southgate preferred Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace. Southgate said it was a tough phone call and Sterling was left annoyed to be omitted, revealing: “It was a difficult call and Raheem is not particularly happy about it.”
