Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka handed England call-ups for the upcoming Nations League

Arsenal’s duo of Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka have been included in England’s squad for the upcoming Nations League encounters.

Off the back of a comprehensive 4-0 defeat against Hungary at the Molineux Stadium last time out, England currently sit bottom in Group A of the tournament having picked up just two points which came in draws against Italy and Germany – the Three Lions’ next opponents on the 23rd and 26th of September respectively.

While their chances of progressing to the next round are now all but over, the Euro 2021 beaten finalists will be aiming to bow out of the Nations League in style and two high-profile fixtures provide the opportunity to do just that.

As Gareth Southgate wraps up his side’s preparations for November’s global event in Qatar, the 52-year-old has now named a 28-man squad with Saka and Ramsdale being the only Arsenal players to have been called up.

Both players have been first-team regulars at the Emirates Stadium this term with a combined 13 appearances out of a possible 14 across all competitions between them so far.

Saka has recorded 18 caps for England since his debut back in 2020, while Ramsdale has only three national outings under his belt since making his bow last year.

As Saka and Ramsdale set out to represent England, Ben White, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah are the English contingents at Arsenal to have been overlooked but that is not so much of a bad thing as it reduces the risk of injuries heading into a crucial phase of the campaign just before the World Cup takes centre stage.

The Gunners take on city rivals Brentford on Sunday afternoon in a crunch London derby where Mikel Arteta’s men will aim look to retain their leadership of the Premier League heading into the first international break of the season.