England vs Slovenia team news: Andros Townsend preferred to Theo Walcott as Raheem Sterling starts despite transfer reports

Roy Hodgson makes three changes form the side that drew 0-0 with the Republic of Ireland

Andros Townsend celebrates his equaliser against Italy (PA)

Andros Townsend has been given the nod by England manager Roy Hodgson for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia, meaning that Theo Walcott misses out once again.

Wayne Rooney will lead the side both with the captain’s armband and spearheading a three-pronged attack alongside Townsend and Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling. The future of Sterling has been one of the biggest talking points in English football in recent month, with Manchester City determined to sign the 19-year-old this summer.

Manchester United defender Phil Jones continues at right-back having faced the Republic of Ireland last Sunday on the flank, so Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne must make do with a place in the substitutes’ bench.

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Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs comes in at left-back for Clyne’s club colleague Ryan Bertrand, while Townsend replaces Adam Lallana and Fabian Delph is preferred to Liverpool-bound James Milner.

The two uncapped players in the squad are named on the bench with striker Charlie Austin and goalkeeper Tom Heaton missing out on the starting line-up.

Line-ups:

England: Hart, Jones, Smalling, Cahill, Gibbs, Wilshere, Delph, Henderson, Sterling, Rooney, Townsend.

Substitutes: Bertrand, Green, Walcott, Jagielka, Milner, Lallana, Austin, Cleverley, Barkley, Vardy, Clyne, Heaton.

Slovenia: Handanovič, Brečko, Cesar, B. Ilič, Jokić; Iličić, Kurtič, Kirm, Kampl, Mertelj, Novakovic

Subs: Oblak, Vidmar, Andjelković, Samardžić, Milec, Birsa, Lazarevič, Rotman, Pečnik, Berič, Verbič