Pickford, Maguire, Chalobah called up for England's World Cup qualifiers

Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire, and Nathaniel Chalobah will have a chance to feature for England for the first time during September's World Cup qualifiers.

Manager Gareth Southgate called the uncapped trio into the senior team Thursday ahead of the country's encounters with Malta and Slovakia.

For Chalobah and Maquire, it's their first call-ups to the senior squad after producing bright starts to begin their respective domestic campaigns. Pickford - who led England's under-21 team to the semifinals of the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in June - received his first shot last October when he was brought in to replace an injured Tom Heaton.

The 28-man squad announcement comes a day after England lost its captain with Wayne Rooney confirming his retirement from international football Wednesday.

Rooney revealed Southgate was eager to include him in the team for September's qualifiers before he opted to call it a career. Rooney's involvement with the national team may not be finished, however, as Southgate hinted at a future role for the 31-year-old.

Related: Why Rooney falls short of being England's greatest ever

"We're good at judging our players harshly," Southgate said, according to Alistair Tweedale of The Telegraph. "Wayne's done everything but win a trophy with England. By that token only the guys from 1966 can be elevated to that level.

"I've got huge respect for him. I was fortunate both to play with him and manage him. He's been a pleasure to work with and I'm sure there'll be a role for him to play in the future."

Related: Reliving the highs and lows of Wayne Rooney's England career

Southgate added that he's in no hurry to name Rooney's successor.

"I won't rush it with the captaincy; we will spread it through the team for now, so it's important for others to take responsibility," he said.

England's first qualifier takes place Sept. 1 in Malta before hosting Slovakia at Wembley Stadium.

England players available to face Malta and Slovakia:

Goalkeepers

Jack Butland (Stoke City), Joe Hart (West Ham United, on loan from Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Defenders

Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Midfielders

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathaniel Chalobah (Watford), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Forwards

Jermain Defoe (AFC Bournemouth), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)