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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Dan Kilpatrick

England squad: Ivan Toney returns after ban as Kalvin Phillips dropped amid West Ham nightmare

Ivan Toney has been recalled to the England squad after his betting ban ended, but Kalvin Phillips has been dropped after his nightmare start at West Ham.

Gareth Southgate has kept faith with struggling pair Aaron Ramsdale and Marcus Rashford in his final squad before naming a provisional group for Euro 2024 this summer.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon have been handed their first call-ups, while Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has been recalled.

Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is in the squad, as is Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa.

Southgate always kept the door open for Toney during his eight-month suspension for breaching a raft of FA betting regulations, and the 27-year-old’s Euros dream is now looking like a strong possibility.

The Brentford striker scored in his first four games back from his ban and will hope for a chance to prove he can be Harry Kane’s understudy in this month’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium at Wembley.

Kalvin Phillips is enduring a nightmare spell on loan at West Ham (Getty Images)

He has been included in two previous squads, most recently for the qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine in March 2023, making his debut as a late replacement for Kane in the latter.

Phillips’s chances of making the Euros are now in some doubt, however, after he was axed following a series of abject performances since joining the Hammers from Manchester City in January.

The midfielder was sent off against Nottingham Forest on his third appearance for the club and hooked at half-time of Sunday’s home draw with Burnley, with the Hammers trailing 2-0.

Ramsdale lost his place as Arsenal No1 to David Raya shortly after the start of the season and made a bad error leading to Brentford’s goal on his first start in two months at the weekend, but keeps his England place.

He has been competing to be Jordan Pickford’s understudy since Euro 2020 and was under pressure for a spot from Rangers’ Jack Butland.

Rashford, meanwhile, is enduring a difficult campaign on and off the pitch, but has scored in his last two appearances for Manchester United, making Southgate’s decision to stick with him easier.

Chelsea’s in-form Cole Palmer keeps his place in the squad along with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Southgate is desperately short of defenders. Right-backs Kieran Trippier, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold are sidelined and the manager has not recalled Arsenal’s Ben White, while left-back Luke Shaw and centre-backs Marc Guehi and Harry Maguire are also injured.

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