Although not called upon during the 2002 World Cup, Southgate has made six starts since the tournament, taking his total of England caps to 55.
His absence at the start of a new season could indicate that his international career is now over, though Eriksson never formally closes the door on any players.
Sol Campbell and Rio Ferdinand, both absent from England’s last two games, are included in the squad along with Newcastle’s Jonathan Woodgate and Chelsea’s John Terry.
Eriksson will fine-tune his squad against Croatia in preparation for the two matches against Macedonia and Liechtenstein next month and the crucial final qualifying game in Turkey on 11 October.
