• England squad is announced at 2pm

The Brentford striker Ivan Toney is set for a surprise return to the England squad today just weeks after the expiration of his eight-month ban handed down by the Football Association for breaches of gambling rules.

Gareth Southgate names his England squad at 2pm for the pre-Euro 2024 friendlies against Brazil and Belgium this month, with Toney expected to be included. Toney came back to action for Brentford on Jan 20 and hit goalscoring form immediately with four goals in his first five games. He has not hit the net in his last four.

The 27-year-old was banned last May for eight months and fined £50,000 for 232 breaches of the FA’s gambling regulations for offences that took place between 2017 and 2021. He admitted in the hearings that led to the sanction that he had a gambling addiction. Southgate has questioned whether bans for players with addictions are the best way to solve the problem.

The FA’s counsel pushed for the ban, which included the last two games of last season, to be suspended over the summer when there were no games – in order to have maximum effect. That was rejected by the independent commission that heard the case, as was the FA’s original proposal that it should be the maximum 12 months.

Toney won his single cap for England in March last year as a substitute against Ukraine.

Telegraph Sport also understands Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon is set to be included after his knee injury was deemed not as bad as first feared.

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