Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been called up to the England squad for the first time for September's Nations League matches, but Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho miss out.

Gareth Southgate's side will do battle with Italy and Germany in League A Group 3 on September 23 and 26 respectively as the Three Lions finalise their preparations for the 2022 World Cup.

Toney has opened the new Premier League season in fine form for the Bees, scoring five goals and setting up two more in six outings, and the 26-year-old has earned his maiden call-up.

However, Manchester United duo Rashford and Sancho have both failed to make the cut, with the former not risked for September's matches due to a muscular problem.

Justifying his decision to include Toney for September's clashes, Southgate told englandfootball.com: "With Ivan Toney, we have been tracking him for a long time. I had a good chat with Thomas Frank about him last season.

"His form and his qualities - not only his goalscoring but his technical ability, build-up play and aerial prowess - gives us a different threat to some of the other players we could pick."

Southgate also touched upon the omission of Rashford, who has amassed three goals and two assists from six Premier League outings so far this term, and the door is still open for the 24-year-old to play his way into the World Cup squad.

"There were certain players we wanted to keep involved this time, but that said it doesn't mean that this is the end for some of the others who aren't involved," Southgate added.

"Marcus Rashford, for example, has shown some encouraging signs recently. He is a player we know well so if he can perform at a high level in the next few weeks, he of course will be under consideration."

Other notable inclusions in the England squad include Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier, who has performed admirably for Antonio Conte's side this term, and Harry Maguire, who has been dropped by Man United head coach Erik ten Hag.

Full-backs Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw are also involved despite their struggles for game time at present, but there is no place in the team for Arsenal's Ben White, who has largely featured as a right-back this term.

"Clearly, we have a number of players including Ben Chilwell, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips who are not playing a lot of minutes with their club," Southgate added.

"It is not ideal, but we feel they have been, and can be, important players for us. It is not a perfect situation but there is still a lot of football to be played before Qatar."

With Jordan Pickford out injured, Nottingham Forest loanee Dean Henderson makes the cut alongside Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope, while Kyle Walker is also included despite a recent injury.

Jude Bellingham, Phillips, Mason Mount, Declan Rice and James Ward-Prowse represent the only five midfield options in Southgate's squad, with the Three Lions coach electing not to call upon Harvey Elliott, while Jordan Henderson misses out through injury.

Manchester City's Jack Grealish and West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen are both preferred to Sancho in attack, and Southgate has once again overlooked James Maddison for selection.

ENGLAND SQUAD IN FULL:

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest, loan from Manchester United), Nick Pope (Newcastle United), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Everton, loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham United), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)

Forwards: Tammy Abraham (AS Roma), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Ivan Toney (Brentford)