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England manager Roy Hodgson has announced his 26-man squad for the upcoming internationals break. Ross Barkley has been named in the side after returning to full fitness with Everton. He joins other Blues regulars Leighton Baines and club captain Phil Jagielka in the national team setup.
However, there is still no consideration for Everton's Gareth Barry, who has remained a model of consistency in the Toffee's midfield, putting in solid performances day in and day out. Hodgson admitted he needed cover for the defensive midfield role, but then opted to pick Michael Carrick who has played all of 47 minutes of football this entire season, and at 33 years old is the same age as Barry.
On-fire West Brom striker Saido Berahino is also included in the squad for the first time. Stewart Downing had fallen out of favor but finds himself back in the frame after encouraging performances for his club side, while Theo Walcott is still returning from a cruciate ligament injury but is in the group.