Gareth Southgate Expected to Call Up Nathaniel Chalobah for England But Wayne Rooney to Miss Out

Gareth Southgate is set to name Nathaniel Chalobah in his England squad for the qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia.

The Mirror report that Southgate was impressed by the Watford midfielder when he turned out for the Under-21s and believes that he is ready for the step up to senior level. 

The 22-year old made the switch to Vicarage Road after failing to break into the first team during his time at Chelsea and this call up is expected to be Southgate's way of rewarding the youngster for taking the decision to leave Chelsea. 

Another youngster expected to be called up is Jordan Pickford, with the Everton man likely to challenge Joe Hart for the number one jersey. 

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Southgate is likely to wait on the fitness of his strikers before he considers a recall for Wayne Rooney. The 31-year old has scored in both his Premier League outings for Everton since returning from Manchester United. 

Despite limping off against Brighton last weekend, Jamie Vardy is expected to be fit, while Daniel Sturridge, Marcus Rashford and Jermain Defoe are all likely to be ahead of Rooney in Southgate's thinking. 

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Danny Welbeck could also be in line for a recall with Adam Lallana on the sidelines. Harry Kane is expected to continue as a captain with the Tottenham striker likely to be Southgate's permanent skipper right the way through until the World Cup. 

England face Malta away and Slovakia at the beginning of September as they look to book their place in Russia. Should England not require a play-off to qualify, the FA will announce friendly matches against Germany and Brazil in November.