England Boss Gareth Southgate Considering First Senior Call Up for Watford's Nathaniel Chalobah

England boss Gareth Southgate is considering giving Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah his first senior call up, and is also keeping a close eye on the performances of Jordan Pickford as the form of Joe Hart and Fraser Forster remains indifferent. 

The Mirror reports that Southgate, who worked with Chalobah within the England U21 setup, has made checks and enquiries on Watford's £5m summer signing, with the intention of calling him into the senior squad after being impressed with the player at youth level.

The former Middlesbrough manager has highlighted the position of holding midfielder as a position to be improved upon, and is reportedly open to the idea of rewarding Chalobah's decision to leave Chelsea for regular football by giving the 22-year-old a chance to make the spot his own. 

Southgate will name his squad on Thursday, and is rumoured to have chosen Tottenham star Harry Kane as his new permanent captain following Wayne Rooney's retirement from international football. 

As a consequence of Rooney's decision, Southgate has one less option to choose from up top, although Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge are available for selection after recent fitness concerns. Marcus Rashford and Jermain Defoe are also expected to be involved ahead of the Three Lions' World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia. 

The squad for these crucial games is not expected to spring up many surprise inclusions, although the friendlies against Germany and Brazil in November are set to see Southgate be a bit more experimental with his selection.