Gareth Southgate insists Conor Gallagher "deserves" his first England call-up after he was promoted from the Under-21 squad for Monday's World Cup qualifier in San Marino.
The Three Lions just need a point against the nation who sit bottom of the FIFA rankings in order to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Jordan Henderson, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw all withdrew from the squad set to travel to San Marino, with Gallagher added to Southgate's ranks.
Conor Gallagher has produced some eye-catching performances on loan at Palace this season
The Chelsea midfielder has impressed during a loan spell at Crystal Palace so far this season and follows in the footsteps of Emile Smith Rowe in earning a maiden senior call-up as a replacement in the current squad.
'We've been very impressed with him,' Southgate said of the 21-year-old, who has yet to make his senior debut for Chelsea.
'We've tracked him for a very long time in his loan spells at Charlton, Swansea - we knew the staff there very well - at West Brom and now at Crystal Palace so in each loan he has done extremely well.
The Palace midfielder was in action for England U21 against Czech Republic on Thursday
He was promoted to the senior squad after five players were forced to withdraw
Gallagher could win his first senior cap when England take on San Marino on Monday
'He was already Covid tested and going from one to the other was straightforward. That's not to say he is only there because of that - he is here because he deserves to be here - but it was an easy transition for us to make.
'He has started the season very well with Palace. We talked about him when we named the original squad as somebody we were keen to keep an eye on and I suppose it's one of the benefits of being with the Under-21s because it was an easy transition for us to bring him across.'
Gallagher will be hoping to make his England bow at the San Marino Stadium, where Southgate's side need only to avoid defeat to top Group I.
England sit fifth in the FIFA rankings, 205 places ahead of their hosts - who are rock bottom below the likes of Guam and the British Virgin Islands.
