Toney called up by England for first time since Saudi move

Ivan Toney has received his first call-up by England since moving to play his club soccer in Saudi Arabia.

The 29-year-old striker was in England's squad at last year's European Championship and secured a move to Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League a few weeks later.

Toney has scored 22 league goals and helped Al-Ahli win the Asian Champions League this month.

He was one of three out-and-out strikers named Friday in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad for a World Cup qualifier against Andorra in Barcelona on June 7 and a friendly against Senegal at the City Ground three days later.

“Ivan deserves to be with us,” Tuchel said at a news conference. "I'm convinced because he scored over 20 goals for Al-Ahli this season. He won a major title with the Asian Champions League, with goals and assists and huge contributions.

“I told you last time I think I will try to put a visit in my schedule to visit him, which I didn't make. So I thought, ‘Why not bring him over and he travel to us.’”

Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah was called up for the first time, but there was no room for Manchester United defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw or striker Marcus Rashford.

Tuchel on the Club World Cup

The new-look, 32-team Club World Cup begins four days after England plays Senegal and at least eight players — including Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Chelsea's Cole Palmer — who are in Tuchel's latest squad are expected to head to the tournament in the United States.

Tuchel said he expects those players will stay until the end of the England camp and that a “very open” discussion about whether to leave out Club World Cup-bound players was cut short “very quickly.”

“It's one of five camps and there's only one year to go until the World Cup. So why send the players away?" Tuchel said. "We want to cherish and worship every day we have together.

“What signal would it send to the group to send players away? I can understand the arguments, especially from the clubs who would love to see their players maybe get a rest. But we have the strongest arguments for ourselves and for our goals that we want to reach. We are building a togetherness and a developing a camaraderie."

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Burnley)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kyle Walker (AC Milan, on loan from Manchester City)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer