WORCESTERSHIRE'S Moeen Ali is in England's 13-man squad for the first Ashes Test against old foes Australia in Cardiff next Wednesday alongside fellow spinner Adil Rashid.

But the naming of both spinners in new head coach Trevor Bayliss' group puts 28-year-old Moeen's potential first XI place at the Swalec Stadium under threat with the surface dictating the final selection.

Yorkshire leg-spinner Rashid, uncapped at Test level, is a surprise inclusion after not making the 14-man training squad who travelled to Spain for four days as part of a bonding trip with Bayliss.

Seamers Mark Footitt and Liam Plunkett, who did travel to Almeria, miss out with England including the full XI who played in both Tests against New Zealand earlier in the summer as well as Rashid and paceman Steven Finn.

All-rounder Moeen was rested in the one-day series with New Zealand after under-performing in Tests in the West Indies and against the Kiwis with Rashid coming in to bolster his reputation with eight wickets in five matches.

National selector James Whitaker stressed the inclusion of both Moeen and Rashid was to give coach Bayliss and captain Alastair Cook plenty of options on what could be a turning pitch in south Wales.

Whitaker said: "There are no huge surprises in the squad.

"Adil's inclusion provides Alastair and Trevor with plenty of bowling options and the surface at Cardiff will dictate who makes the final XI.

"Within the squad there are players who have plenty of experience of Ashes cricket and that knowledge will I'm sure be useful for the players who are yet to experience a home Ashes series.

"There has been some very good cricket played so far this summer and we are aware we will need to build on that over the next seven weeks if we are to win back the Ashes."