The Sheffield-born pair of Harry Maguire and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have been given the chance to revive England careers that looked over after being named in Thomas Tuchel's final squad before picking his World Cup party.
England play Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay on March 27, and Japan the following Tuesday, both at Wembley, in the final games before their pre-tournament training camp.
Leeds United striker Calvert-Lewin has not played international football for five years, but manager Tuchel is keen to learn about him.
Fellow Sheffield United academy graduate Maguire won 64 caps under Gareth Southgate, but had been overlooked by his successor.
Both play in positions where England are light on options.
And whilst captain Harry Kane is England's undisputed No 9, Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham's Dominic Solanke have been drafted in to assess if they could deputise.
“Dominic Calvert-Lewin has had a good season with Leeds and is very decisive," said Tuchel. "Both are good penalty takers so I want to see what they're capable of.
RECALL: Dominic Calvert-Lewin tries his luck (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
RECALL: Dominic Calvert-Lewin tries his luck (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
“I want to see if they can if they can fill the gap, what they can bring, what they can offer with set pieces, with their strengths and their body and the height they bring.
“They have a real chance to get minutes against Uruguay. They understand the situation, and I think that helps to be clear.”
Tuchel has named a 35-man squad, although regulars Kane, Dean Henderson, Dan Burn, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka, plus Nico O’Reilly, will not report until after the Uruguay game.
Anybody named on Friday cannot count their chickens but those not are in great danger of missing the World Cup. They include Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Manchester United's Luke Shaw and former Sheffield United loanee Morgan Gibbs-White.
BACK TOGETHER: John Stones and Harry Maguire (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)placeholder image
BACK TOGETHER: John Stones and Harry Maguire (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Newcastle United's Lewis Hall, who won two caps in 2024, has a chance to impress at left-back, and former Hull City loanee Fikayo Tomori – now with AC Milan – is back after a three-year absence.
Like his Manchester United team-mate Maguire, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is called up for the first time by Tuchel. Everton midfielder/full-back James Garner and Middlesbrough academy graduate goalkeeper Jason Steele could make international debuts.
“Harry is not a new player in an England shirt, of course, but is new to me in a camp,” said Tuchel.
"I want to feel (him and others) around the pitch and see what they are capable of, and learn about them, and then will make a clear decision in May."
Tuchel said Tino Livramento, Djed Spence and Jarell Quansah offer a "slightly different profile" to Alexander-Arnold. Asked if the right-back's England career could be over, he replied "I don't know". Club-mate Jude Bellingham is included despite not having played since February 1 with a hamstring injury.
SQUAD: D Henderson (Crystal Palace), Pickford (Everton), Trafford (Manchester City), Ramsdale (Newcastle United), Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion); Burn (Newcastle United), Guehi (Manchester City), Hall (Newcastle), Konsa (Aston Villa), Livramento (Newcastle), Maguire (Manchester United), O'Reilly (Manchester City), Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), Stones (Manchester City), Tomori (AC Milan); Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Bellingham (Real Madrid), Garner (Everton), J Henderson (Brentford), Mainoo (Manchester United), Rice (Arsenal), Rogers (Aston Villa), Wharton (Crystal Palace); Bowen (West Ham United), Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eze (Arsenal), Foden (Manchester City), Gordon (Newcastle), Kane (Bayern Munich), Madueke (Arsenal), Palmer (Chelsea), Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Saka (Arsenal), Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur).