Gareth Southgate has rewarded Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe with a first senior England cap after the youngster’s recent show of form. Smith-Rowe replaces Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford in the squad, who – like his club-mate Paul Pogba – will miss the break due to an injury.
Smith-Rowe has been called up to Southgate’s senior squad following Marcus Rashford and James Ward-Prowse’s withdrawal. Should the youngster make an appearance for the Three Lions during the upcoming international fixtures against Albania (Nov 12) or San Marino (Nov 15) he will earn his first senior cap.
Smith-Rowe has been a consistent presence in the England youth set-up, starting from the Under 16s all the way to the Under 21s. The 21-year-old was also part of the England youth squad – along with Phil Foden, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Jadon Sancho – that won the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2017.
The Croydon-born midfielder broke into the Arsenal first-team midway through the previous season and has since been one of the first names on Mikel Arteta’s team sheet. He heads for international duty with three goals in his last three league games.
Meanwhile, Rashford will miss out on international duty yet again following a bout of sickness recently. The Manchester United man has chosen to stay at home and focus on his recovery during the break, with the Red Devils facing a tough run of fixtures on the other side of the recess. Rashford, it is believed, started to feel unwell on the flight home from Atalanta. However, he was selected in the squad to face Manchester City last weekend, and he came off the bench during the 2-0 defeat.
Apart from Rashford, Southampton’s Ward-Prowse has also withdrawn from the England squad. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Manchester United’s Luke Shaw are yet to report for duty due to off-field concerns.
England, however, aren’t the only team without key players heading into the crucial international break. World Champions France will be without Paul Pogba after the midfielder suffered an injury training for their next game against Kazakhstan (Nov 13). The 28-year-old has been replaced in the Les Bleus squad by AS Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout.
