England have announced that Liverpool striker Danny Ings and Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli have been called into the squad for Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania.
Roy Hodgson, whose side have already booked their place at the finals in France with eight wins from eight, opted to leave Daniel Sturridge out of the squad despite Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers saying he would have been fit to play one match.
BREAKING: @IngsDanny and @dele_alli36 earn first England senior call-ups http://t.co/mAOqe2dNG8 pic.twitter.com/rzIyAS70B0
- England (@england) October 1, 2015
Alli, 19 -- last season's Football League Young Player of the Year -- has impressed for Spurs since arriving from MK Dons in the summer, while former Burnley striker Ings, 23, has scored twice in his last three games for Liverpool.
Congrats to Football League Young Player of the Year @dele_alli36 on his 1st @england call up http://t.co/p268GNXlpk pic.twitter.com/YlIzJiDNbq
- The Football League (@football_league) October 1, 2015
"Danny Ings is someone we followed with the under-21s last year, and this was a good opportunity to bring him in after scoring goals for Liverpool," Hodgson told a news conference on Thursday.
"We've been impressed with Dele Alli and this is a chance to get to know him. He's a very exciting talent.
"He is the more off-beat one in the sense he is so young. We are a year away from France, so it is a good opportunity."
Explaining the omission of Sturridge, Hodgson said: "We made a decision that we think it's better for him at the moment, having just come back, to concentrate on what is a preseason at Liverpool.
"We can survive without him, and we are hoping we see a super-fit player in November. The best way to have him in November is to leave him in October."
Alli was playing League One football last season, but could find himself in the England team with both Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson injured.
Ryan Bertrand is recalled in place of Luke Shaw, who broke his leg in two places while playing for Manchester United against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last month.
John Stones, who was won six caps, is joined in the defensive ranks by United centre-back Phil Jones, who has recovered from a blood clot in his calf.
Jones' United teammate Michael Carrick is included despite recent injury concerns, but there were no places for Manchester United's Ashley Young, Southampton's James Ward-Prowse or Swansea's Jack Cork despite their good form.
Jamie Vardy, who has scored six goals for Leicester this season, is included and will compete with Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Ings and Theo Walcott for a place up front.
England host Estonia at Wembley on Friday Oct. 9 before travelling to Lithuania for their final qualifier three days later.
"I think it's a strong squad," Hodgson said. "The game in Lithuania is the one where, if any experimentation takes place, it'll be there. It may damage our chances of getting the perfect 10 [wins], but I'm prepared to accept that.
"I won't be sacrificing the game in any shape or form, but I would argue the changes I make in Lithuania could make us stronger because certain players are confident."
Speaking about the decision by Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish to represent England rather than Republic of Ireland, he said: "I am very pleased. I think it is the right decision. He is English, albeit with distant Irish roots.
"I think he has the talent to become an England player. I was happy he took the bolder decision, and what matters now is how he does for Villa. I was keen to point out that there were no guarantees for him with England."
Information from the Press Association was used in this report.