Jesse Lingard: England call up Man Utd winger for World Cup qualifiers

Jesse Lingard scored England's winner in the group match against Sweden at the Under-21 European Championships in 2015

Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard has been called up by interim England manager Gareth Southgate for World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia.

The 23-year-old, part of Southgate's under-21 squad at the 2015 European Championship, has scored one goal in four United games this season.

Club-mate Marcus Rashford is back in the senior squad after scoring a hat-trick against Norway Under-21s.

Stoke's Glen Johnson returns for the first time since the 2014 World Cup.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea right-back, 32, has won 54 caps so far but has only played in three Premier League matches this season following a seven-month lay-off with a knee injury.

Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also back after a year's absence, but there is no place for Watford striker Troy Deeney.

The uncapped 29-year-old was tipped for a call-up in the absence of the injured Harry Kane by former England duo Alan Shearer and Jermaine Jenas.

Southgate has taken on the England role following Sam Allardyce's shock departure after just 67 days in the job.

Former Sunderland boss Allardyce upset the Football Association after being filmed apparently advising undercover reporters on how to get around rules regarding the banned practice of third-party ownership of players.

Johnson's last England appearance was in a 2-1 defeat by Uruguay, in which he provided the cross for Wayne Rooney's goal

Southgate will take charge of England's game with Malta at Wembley n Saturday and the trip to Slovenia three days later.

Lingard has been named in the senior squad once before but failed to make it onto the field in England's 2-0 friendly win over France in November.

Southgate says Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater had been ruled out after picking up an injury at the weekend, as have Liverpool pair Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne who were injured in Saturday's win at Swansea.

"We've tried to keep some continuity from last month because my view would be that there are a lot of things that have been going right," said Southgate.

"We've had a few people unavailable through injury, like Harry Kane and Jack Butland, while Luke Shaw isn't quite back fit yet. That's had a bearing."

England lie second in their World Cup qualifying group, level on three points with leaders Scotland, after Lallana's late goal gave them victory away to Slovakia in Allardyce's only match in charge.

Southgate also has a home match against Scotland on 11 November and a friendly against Spain on 15 November to press his claim for the England job before the FA makes a decision on a full-time appointment.

England squad

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Torino, on loan from Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Stoke), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)

Midfielders: Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Michail Antonio (West Ham), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Dele Alli (Tottenham)

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester)