Lee Carsley was due to take charge of his first game at the helm of England Under-21s on Friday evening but he now must wait for next week’s qualifier against Kosovo
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England Under-21s have had to cancel their match in Romania on Friday evening due to an outbreak of Covid cases in the camp.
Two members of the party have tested positive for Covid and have now entered a period of isolation and are following the relevant health advice.
The Young Lions had been due to play in Bucharest in a friendly match against Romania, who will be joint hosts of the next U21 EURO Finals with Georgia in 2023.
The match on Friday had been due to be coach Lee Carsley’s first game in charge after he was appointed in July, but he will now have to wait until Tuesday before his first game in the dugout.
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Image:
Matthew Lewis)
Carsley is the new man at the helm of the Under-21 side following Aidy Boothroyd’s exit and his first game in charge will now be a home clash against Kosovo in the opening match for the Euro qualification campaign.
A statement from the Football Association on Thursday read: “England men’s Under-21s will no longer travel to play Romania on Friday after two positive Covid-19 tests were reported within the party of players and support staff.
“It has been decided to cancel the trip as a precaution and our thanks go to the Romanian Football Federation for their understanding.
“The individuals concerned were immediately isolated from the rest of the group, with the squad still based at St. George’s Park.
“The Young Lions’ focus will switch to preparing for next Tuesday’s home fixture with Kosovo at MK Dons to mark the start of qualifying for the 2023 Uefa European Under-21 Championship.”
Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Etienne Green is among the new faces in Carsley’s squad – the shot-stopper has never been called up to any England side.
Carsley will be assisted by Ashley Cole in his new role and the duo will now be preparing their side for their opening qualifier against Kosovo on Tuesday 7 September at Stadium MK.
England Under-21 squad
Goalkeepers : Joe Bursik (Stoke City), Etienne Green (St. Etienne), Josh Griffiths (Lincoln City, loan from West Bromwich Albion)
Defenders : Max Aarons (Norwich City), Levi Samuels-Colwill ( Huddersfield Town, loan from Chelsea ), Charlie Cresswell (Leeds United), Marc Guehi ( Crystal Palace ), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Anderlecht, loan from Manchester City ), Valentino Livramento ( Southampton ), Ryan Sessegnon ( Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Thomas ( Leicester City)
Midfielders : Tommy Doyle (Manchester City), Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace, loan from Chelsea), Jimmy Garner (Nottingham Forest, loan from Manchester United ), Curtis Jones ( Liverpool ), Cole Palmer (Manchester City), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur),
Forwards : Folarin Balogun ( Arsenal ), Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United), Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Tyreece John-Jules (Blackpool, loan from Arsenal), Noni Madueke (PSV Eindhoven), Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal)
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