Andros Townsend replaces injured Raheem Sterling in England squad

The Football Association has announced that Andros Townsend has been called up to the England squad after Raheem Sterling withdrew due to a thigh injury.

The Crystal Palace winger, who has 11 international caps and has scored three goals for his country, is back in the fold for the first time since England's pre-tournament friendlies ahead of Euro 2016.

Sterling follows Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana in pulling out of World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia, which will be held over the next fortnight.

Gareth Southgate will oversee the fixtures as he is currently in temporary charge of the senior team following Sam Allardyce's recent departure.

Allardyce was forced out of the role just 67 days after being hired because he was secretly filmed appearing to tell undercover reporters from The Telegraph how to "get around" the FA's ban on third-party ownership.