Euro 2020 qualifiers: Two Leicester City players in England squad

Leicester City duo Ben Chilwell and James Maddison have made Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Montenegro and Kosovo.

While Chilwell was always likely to be picked, there were major doubts about Maddison’s international career after he had been spotted in a casino when he had pulled out of the squad to face Czech Republic in October.

However, he has been given another chance, and rightly so, given that he is still young and has a lot to learn in terms of what it is like to represent the Three Lions. It would not have been a wise move anyway to drop probably your best no.10 for something that was completely unintentional.

Speaking at the press conference, though Southgate did not shy away from calling a spade a spade, he also ensured there was enough said in Maddison’s defence. At least no one will question whether the midfielder was ill or not anymore.

"“He’s only been in two squads,” Southgate was quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “He had to go home ill last time. We sent him home – he was ill.“Any suggestion he chose to go home because he wanted to go out is unfair. It’s not a great decision he took [to visit a casino].“As an England player you have a different profile. Everyone has a camera-phone and wants to make money selling pictures.“We are supporting him because we have picked him and he has to fight for his place like everybody else.”"

Here’s the squad in full:

Forwards: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Callum Wilson (AFC Bournemouth)

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool), Declan Rice (West Ham United), Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)

Goalkeepers: Tom Heaton (Aston Villa), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley).