Sam Allardyce's England squad: 5 key inclusions, 5 key omissions

We break down the main talking points from Sunday's announcement.

Nobody likes an international break this early in the season. Nobody except, perhaps, Joe Hart. With the Manchester City goalkeeper's future still in limbo, Allardyce had little choice but to call Hart up. While Allardyce appears not to doubt that Hart is his best goalkeeper, he clearly needs to move on and find a new club by Wednesday.

Harshly omitted from England's Euro 2016 squad, Drinkwater is exactly the sort of dynamic midfielder Allardyce loves. Energy, tactical discipline and an eye for a killer pass - and his rapport with Jamie Vardy, seen again on Saturday against Swansea, suggests there's no point picking one without the other.

What passes for a 'shock selection' in a conservative first Allardyce squad. Given England's lack of natural width, Antonio represents a fairly logical selection. Like Drinkwater, he boasts a no-nonsense directness and his eye for a headed goal also weighs in his favour.

Given the pressure to 'make a statement' with his first squad, it may well have crossed Allardyce's mind to put Rooney's international career out of its misery. But he has stuck with Roy Hodgson's captain. The FA have him listed as a midfielder - Allardyce's plans remain to be seen.

Given the outrageous abuse thrown Sterling's way during and after Euro 2016, he could have been forgiven for walking away from international football. But Sterling has responded with an electric start to the season and will surely start against Slovakia.

This one caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth - but isn't this the same Ross Barkley who went to Euro 2016 and never came close to playing a minute? A good start to the season does not represent an unanswerable case for the Everton man's selection.

Defoe did what he does on Saturday - 78 minutes of nothing before winning and converting a penalty that should have won Sunderland the game at Southampton. Despite Defoe's predatory form, he will be 35 3/4 come the World Cup - too much of a stretch for Allardyce.

We may never know whether England snubbed Terry, Terry snubbed England, or everyone just decided they didn't have the energy for the whole palaver. Terry clearly remains one of England's best defenders, but he has proven disruptive and his return would have sparked a media circus that England just don't need.

Sam Allardyce revealed that he checked on the availability of his former Blackburn charge N'Zonzi - who would have qualified through six years in England, were it not for a solitary France Under-21 cap.

The Manchester United man has been demoted to the Under-21s, with Allardyce not unreasonably citing a lack of playing time - though Rashford made the most of his cameo against Hull by scoring the winner.