SAINTS duo James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond joined a depleted England squad for training at St George’s Park today alongside fellow under-21s team-mate Natahan Chalobah.

Interim manager Gareth Southgate is treating his players with kid gloves ahead of Friday's World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Wembley and excused nine players from taking part in the main session.

Tottenham quartet Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Harry Kane and Eric Dier all sat out, as did Jack Wilshere, Phil Jagielka, Raheem Sterling, Theo Walcott and John Stones.

Saints man Ryan Bertrand was involved, but club-mate Fraser Forster, who was also called up to the senior team, was absent after pulling out of the squad because of a “slight” injury.

That meant room for three of the Young Lions, who were watched from the sidelines by Southgate's temporary under-21s replacement Aidy Boothroyd, who has already lost goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Ward-Prowse, Redmond and the rest of the under-21s are preparing to face Italy on Thursday at St Mary’s in a friendly, before another preparation match for next summer’s European Under-21 Championships in Paris against France next Monday.

Also on duty for the first time was West Ham full-back Aaron Cresswell.

He was called up for the first time after Danny Drinkwater's withdrawal on Monday evening, but is providing cover for Rose.

Of those to miss the session the Spurs left-back is the one providing most concern for Southgate and he will be carefully monitored in the coming days.

Ward-Prowse and Redmond are familiar faces to Southgate having been part of his under-21s squad for some time before he was made interim Three Lions boss after Sam Allardyce's departure.

They won the Toulon Tournament together in the summer and are trusted faces to the England manager

Southgate has tipped Ward-Prowse to make a breakthrough into the senior team in the past and clearly rates him after giving him the captaincy for the under-21s.