Palmer earns an England call-up as a reward for his excellent Chelsea form, with Lewis and Konsa joining him following injury withdrawals

Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis and Ezri Konsa have received their first England call-ups from Gareth Southgate.

After James Maddison, Lewis Dunk, and Callum Wilson all withdrew, the trio have been drafted into the Three Lions squad to face Malta and North Macedonia, with Jude Bellingham also expected to withdraw.

Palmer, 21, has been rewarded for his outstanding performances for Chelsea, which included a stoppage-time penalty in yesterday's 4-4 draw with former club Manchester City.

The Blues forward faces stiff competition for a starting spot, but his four goals in his first ten games since joining Stamford Bridge for £40 million makes him one of the Premier League's form players.

Palmer will be joined by 18-year-old Lewis, a fellow City academy graduate who has become a regular under Pep Guardiola over the last two seasons.

Konsa, 26, also receives his first call-up after impressing in defense during Aston Villa's rise under Unai Emery.

The former Charlton and Brentford centre-back has appeared in every minute of Villa's Premier League campaign, which has seen them rise to fifth place after 12 games.

With Euro 2024 qualification already secured, the new faces will be hoping for their first senior caps for the Three Lions.

All three have played for England at the youth level, with Palmer being a member of the squad that won the European Under-21 Championship last summer.

Konsa also has international experience, having won the U-20 World Cup in 2017.

England hosts Malta at Wembley on Friday night before traveling to North Macedonia the following Monday.

SportsLigue