England coach McClaren calls up uncapped Bentley and Young

Steve McClaren watches England's international friendly against Germany at Wembley Stadium on 22 August. McClaren has handed surprise call ups to uncapped wingers David Bentley and Ashley Young for England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.

Coach Steve McClaren has handed surprise call ups to uncapped wingers David Bentley and Ashley Young for England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.

McClaren has given Bentley, 23, a reprieve after the Blackburn winger appeared to have ruined his international chances by refusing to play for England's Under-21s in the European Championships in June.

Young, 22, has enjoyed a good start to the season with Aston Villa and gives McClaren another option on the left wing.

Steven Gerrard has been picked for the Wembley matches against Israel on September 8 and Russia four days later, even though the Liverpool midfielder is struggling with a broken toe, because McClaren is convinced he will recover in time to play in both games.

Gerrard's Liverpool team-mate Peter Crouch is also included despite being suspended for the Israel match, but McClaren has to do without the injured David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Kieron Dyer and Gary Neville.

Paul Robinson keeps his place in the squad but it remains to be seen if the Tottenham goalkeeper will hold onto the number one shirt after his blunder in the recent friendly defeat against Germany.

Blackburn Rovers' winger David Bentley celebrates after scoring against Mypa during their UEFA Cup match at at Ewood Park on 30 August. McClaren has handed surprise call ups to uncapped wingers Bentley and Ashley Young for England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.

McClaren believes Young deserved a chance after his impressive performances for the Under-21s.

"He has has done well for the Under-21s and he has carried that into the beginning of the season," McClaren said.

"It is an ideal opportunity to bring in one of the Under-21s, which I'm keen to do.

"We will have look at him for 10 days. He definitely has a chance. We will assess how he performs in training.

"It is good to blood these youngsters. We did it in the Albania game last season and got some benefits from that and hopefully we will with Ashley."

The England coach insisted he does not harbour a grudge against Bentley over his Under-21 snub.

"I said at that time that I thought it was the wrong decision," McClaren added. "He accepted that and he has paid the consequences. There is a line drawn under it."

McClaren admitted Beckham's knee ligament injury, which will keep him out for at least six weeks, couldn't have come at a worse time after Dyer, a potential replacement for the LA Galaxy midfielder, broke his leg in midweek.

Those two injuries forced McClaren to look at Bentley and Young.

"It is a big blow for us," McClaren said. "He is a big player. We are coming up to big games and we need big players.

Coach Steve McClaren has handed surprise call ups to uncapped wingers David Bentley and Ashley Young, seen here in January 2007, for England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.

"We will assess how well he recovers and rehabs over the next few weeks and how he plays from then on."

McClaren, who will check on Michael Owen's form and fitness in Newcastle's match against Wigan on Saturday, knows England have to win both matches to keep alive their chances of reaching Euro 2008.

Failure to qualify would almost certainly cost McClaren his job, but he is convinced his squad's big-game temperament will prove decisive.

McClaren said: "They are all big games no matter what, but they are exciting games. We are very positive that it is in our hands.

"We have got to make the home games count. I've said in the past we've got ourselves in a position where we have to deliver in these five games.

"We are used to that at club level and international level and we have to do it again.

"We normally produce in big games and we normally win the big games. We have to do it again.

"This is the run-in, this is where it counts. This is where we all have to stand up and really deliver.

"I'm always confident. We've got a good set of players, who are used to this level of competition.

"It is a very good squad and it is up to us to deliver."