Harry Maguire
Nathaniel Chalobah
Maguire and Chalobah have been rewarded for their early season form.

Harry Maguire and Nathaniel Chalobah have been handed their maiden England senior call-ups after being named in Gareth Southgate's 28-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia.

Twenty-four-year-old Maguire moved to Leicester City from Hull City in a deal worth £17m in the summer and has impressed in his early outings for the Foxes, while Sierra Leone-born Chalobah left Chelsea for Watford for £5m during the off-season after 12 years at Stamford Bridge.

Everton's Jordan Pickford is the only other uncapped played named in the squad, as one of four goalkeepers alongside Tom Heaton, Joe Hart and the fit-again Jack Butland. Danny Welbeck returns to the fold after having not represented his country since March 2016.

Wayne Rooney is omitted after announcing his international retirement earlier in the week, but Southgate has admitted the door is "always open" to a return for England's all-time record goalscorer.

Among the other players to miss out, centrally due to injury, include Liverpool's Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne, Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw and Ross Barkley of Everton.

England face Malta on Friday 1 September in Ta'Qail before hosting Slovakia on Monday 4 September at Wembley. The Three Lions are on course to qualify for next year's World Cup and are top of Group F after winning four of their six games.

England squad to face Malta and Slovakia

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Jack Butland (Stoke City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Chalobah (Watford), Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (AFC Bournemouth), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Joe Hart (West Ham United, on loan from Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Michael Keane (Everton), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), John Stones (Manchester City), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)