England face Malta at Wembley on Friday night with Euro 2024 qualification already sewn up – but Gareth Southgate’s men still have something to play for.
Only the top-five best performing nations throughout the qualifying campaign will be top seeds for the draw in Hamburg next month.
Four points from tonight’s game against Malta and the final fixture against North Macedonia should be enough, while six would confirm England’s place in the first pot, meaning, theoretically, an easier group come next summer.
What time is England vs Malta?
England vs Malta kicks off at 7.45pm GMT from Wembley.
How can I watch live?
The match will be shown live on Channel 4, with coverage beginning at 7pm.
Viewers can also stream it for free online via the Channel 4 app and website.
Radio listeners can find the game on on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT.
What are the main talking points?
Southgate’s own reshuffle on the cards?
While Southgate has continually stressed the need to finish Group C strongly to ensure the aforementioned top seeding, he will know England are heavy favourites going into Friday’s game.
Having initially picked a strong squad for the fixtures, he may yet decide to give some of his fringe players a chance to impress.
The likes of centre-backs Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori, for example, will be pushing to start in place of the injured John Stones, while Ollie Watkins will be keen for another chance to show he can be the man to provide the goals if captain Harry Kane is unavailable.
New kids on the block
While some squad players could feature, there is also a chance for a number of debutants to stake their claim for a late run into Southgate’s thoughts for his 23-man Euro 2024 squad.
Although not included in the original list of call-ups for the forthcoming games, Southgate has added a trio of uncapped players to the squad after injury withdrawals.
That means Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, Manchester City teenager Rico Lewis and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer could all make their senior bows against Malta.
Can Trent bridge the gap to midfield?
Having burst on to the scene at Liverpool as an attacking right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s attributes have long-seen him touted as a potential midfielder.
After struggling for minutes with England at full-back, Southgate played Alexander-Arnold in midfield in the reverse fixture in Malta and he starred with an eye-catching performance that included a fine goal.
Alexander-Arnold has since taken on more of a hybrid role at Liverpool, too, and is now listed on England’s squad sheet as a midfielder, so he may get another chance to shine there this time around.
Tributes to a 1966 great
The fixture against Malta is the first time England will have played since the death of Sir Bobby Charlton last month.
A 1966 World Cup winner who scored 49 goals in 106 caps, Charlton has been described as the greatest England player of all time, having also won the European Cup and three league titles at Manchester United.
Wembley will remember Charlton before the game on what will be an emotional moment for all those in attendance.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/RJqI3VO
Post a Comment