England are back in action despite the Premier League season only ending just weeks ago. With some players having been on their holidays already and others spending time winning the FA Cup and Champions League, one making a major transfer to Real Madrid, Gareth Southgate has a mixed group to work with.
Brighton's Lewis Dunk has been replaced in the squad by his teammate from last season, Levi Colwill. The 20 year-old Chelsea defender won't be making his debut just yet, though. He has been training with the men's squad but is still preparing for the Under-21 European Championships later this summer.
Nevertheless, it is still a strong Three Lions squad that is set to take on Malta and North Macedonia in the coming week. As they travel away for their first match of the Euro 2024 qualifying group they will have to be ready for a seismic change upon their return.
For the first time in 16 years they are set to play a match at Old Trafford, with the home fixture against North Macedonia scheduled to take place at the Theatre of Dreams on Monday.
The other three home qualifiers, against Italy, Ukraine and Malta in the return fixture, will all be played at the home of English football, Wembley. It is, afterall, the national stadium. However, Monday's game will be different.
Due to Harry Styles' massive UK tour of the country, England are having their home temporarily given to the former One Direction frontman. Although the June 19 Wembley date for Styles is two days after England's game, the pitch will be completely covered and prepared for the concert.
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It is the sixth venue of his 'Love on Tour' journey he is taking around the country and will dislodge the Three Lions from their usual home. It shouldn't be too much to worry for Southgate, though, given England's last game at Old Trafford was a 1-0 win over Spain in 2007.
The bad news is that England drew 0-0 with North Macedonia that same year and that stalemate came in the campaign which started to unravel under Steve McClaren. It is set to be the 18th time that they have played at Manchester United's home ground but the first since the new Wembley opened for international use.
There will then be a break for England as the season changes over before more fixtures are scheduled in just one month after the restart of the domestic campaign with Scotland and Ukraine on the horizon.
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