The FA has confirmed that Danny Welbeck has been called up to the England squad for Tuesday's friendly against Ghana.
Striker rewarded for progress at Sunderland
The Football Association has confirmed that on-loan Sunderland striker Danny Welbeck has been called up to the England squad for Tuesday's friendly against Ghana.
The Manchester United player has scored six Premier League goals during his temporary move to the Stadium of Light and that form has been recognised by Fabio Capello, who has made the decision after Aaron Lennon's withdrawal on Monday.
England look set to name as many as 11 changes against Ghana at a sold-out Wembley in a completely new team to that which defeated Wales in Euro 2012 qualifying last weekend.
Liverpool's £35million striker, Andy Carroll, is set to lead the line and Welbeck is therefore expected to feature on the bench and could make his senior team debut as a substitute.
Welbeck has made 10 appearances for England's Under 21s, scoring three goals, but was not involved on Monday night, when Stuart Pearce's side suffered a disappointing defeat to Iceland.
Important
The 20-year-old was excused from duty because he only recently returned from the injury which caused him to miss the majority of January and all of February at club level.
But after watching Welbeck score in last week's U21 4-0 win over Denmark, Capello has decided to call the forward into his senior squad and the move could block the player's eligibility for Ghana, who he could play for due to this Ghanaian parents.
Welbeck recently told the
Newcastle Chronicle that his involvement with the U21s was important to him, despite the decision to not be involved against Iceland.
He said: "I enjoy being part of the England U21s and I don't like missing games.
"It is fantastic to get picked for your country at any level and pulling on the Three Lions shirt means a lot to me. I'm at the stage of my career where I'm trying to make a name for myself.
"Coming to Sunderland this season is part of that and playing for the England U21s is another part of that - my performances for the U21s actually helped me get noticed in the first place."
