Newcastle United stars Jamaal Lascelles and Jonjo Shelvey were touted for a possible place in the England side.
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has expressed his shock on Twitter after England manager Gareth Southgate decided to overlook Toon duo Jamaal Lascelles and Jonjo Shelvey.
Southgate has picked a 27-man squad to face the Netherlands on March 23 and Italy four days later, as he considers a number of players on the fringes of a World Cup call-up.
Uncapped stars such as Nick Pope, Alfie Mawson, James Tarkowski and Lewis Cook have all been included in the squad by Southgate, while under-performing internationals such as Danny Welbeck and Joe Hart have also been picked.
But former Middlesbrough manager Southgate has decided to ignore calls to include duo Shelvey and Lascelles, which has left England and Toon icon Shearer bemused on Twitter.
Instead of Magpies captain Lascelles, Southgate has called up Mawson, Tarkowski, John Stones and Harry Maguire, while Chelsea’s Gary Cahill also misses out.
In midfield, Southgate has preferred Eric Dier, Cook, Jake Livermore, Jordan Henderson and Jack Wilshere, which has also seen Harry Winks and Fabian Delph fail to be included.
There is still time for the Newcastle duo to earn an England call-up for friendlies before the World Cup in Russia, with the Three Lions set to face Nigeria and Costa Rica just days before they begin their campaign.
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