Ashley Young, Ruben Loftus-Cheek Headline England Squad for Germany Friendly

Manchester United's Ashley Young has been recalled to the England squad, and manager Gareth Southgate has also included uncapped trio Tammy Abraham, Joe Gomez and Ruben Loftus-Cheek for friendlies against Germany and Brazil later this month.  

Young's last England cap came in 2013, but he has been rewarded for recent good form with the Red Devils, although there is no place in the 25-man group for his club team-mate Chris Smalling, or Liverpool duo Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, per England:

The Three Lions host Germany at Wembley on Nov. 10 before welcoming Brazil on Nov. 14.

Both matches will be crucial as England begin their preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Southgate's side sealed their spot at next summer's tournament in the last international break as they beat Slovenia 1-0 back in October to guarantee top spot in UEFA qualifying Group F.

They then beat Lithuania 1-0 in a dead rubber, but both victories came despite underwhelming displays from England.

Improvements must be made in the next seven months if England are to have any chance of going deep at the World Cup, and both Germany and Brazil will present significant challenges.

Young Chelsea duo Abraham and Loftus-Cheek—on loan at Swansea City and Crystal Palace, respectively—and Liverpool defender Gomez will all be eager to impress on the international stage.

Very few of the current squad are guaranteed their positions on the plane to the World Cup, so there are places up for grabs for any player who can impress Southgate in the 2017-18 campaign.