Demarai Gray back in England Under-21 squad

Leicester’s Demarai Gray has returned to the England Under-21 squad for friendlies against Italy and Denmark.

The winger missed the Euro 2019 qualifiers against Andorra and Scotland last month with an ankle injury.

He scored an emotional winner in Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Cardiff following the death of Leicester chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash last month.

Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson and Leicester’s Harvey Barnes, on loan at West Brom, have retained their places after debuts last month.

Nelson, on loan at Hoffenheim, scored in the 7-0 win over Andorra which clinched qualification for Euro 2019, before netting a stunning free kick in the 2-0 victory over Scotland.

The Young Lions face Italy in Ferrara on November 15 before travelling to Esbjerg in Denmark on November 20.

“We’ve now got two games where we can give everyone a look at what it is we’re trying to do for the summer,” boss Aidy Boothroyd said.

“It’s nice to have Demarai back with us because he’s done really well and the competition for places is fantastic now.

“We had Reiss joining us for the first time last month and Harvey Barnes has done a really good job too so I’m really pleased that we’ve got two players who have come up and shown us they mean business.

“It’s great for the group because the standard is so high that it improves our training and everything else and you need that when you want to be successful – you need everybody fighting for a place.”

England qualified for next year’s tournament in Italy and San Marino after topping Group Four.

The draw for the finals will be held in Bologna on Friday, November 23.

England Under-21 squad: Gunn (Southampton), Henderson (Sheffield United, loan from Manchester United), Woodman (Newcastle), Clarke-Salter (Vitesse Arnhem, on loan from Chelsea), Dasilva (Bristol City, on loan from Chelsea), Fry (Middlesbrough), Konsa (Brentford), Tomori (Derby, on loan from Chelsea), Walker-Peters (Tottenham Hotspur), Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace), Barnes (West Brom, on loan from Leicester), Cook (Bournemouth), Davies (Everton), Dowell (Everton),  Onomah (Sheffield Wednesday, on loan from Tottenham), Sessegnon (Fulham), Abraham (Aston Villa, on loan from Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Foden (Manchester City), Gray (Leicester), Lookman (Everton), Nelson (Hoffenheim, on loan from Arsenal), Solanke (Liverpool)