England U19 begin the second round of their UEFA U19 EURO 2027 Qualifiers this Wednesday, 11 November, with a first fixture against Slovenia. Ben Futcher’s Young Lions will take on the Slovenians at 12pm GMT in Linz, Austria, with the aim of opening this new qualifying phase with a victory. Having finished second in their group during the first round in October, England must now finish among the top three in their group to progress to the third and final qualifying round.
The Young Lions looking to make a strong start to the second round
England head into this opening fixture with plenty of confidence following an encouraging first round. Drawn alongside Spain, Bulgaria and Croatia, Ben Futcher’s side won two of their three matches. They began with a convincing 4-1 victory over Bulgaria, with Chelsea forward Chizaram Ezenwata among the goals with a brace, before suffering a 3-1 defeat to Spain. The Young Lions responded in impressive fashion, however, beating Croatia 2-0 thanks to goals from Dean Benamar and an own goal.
That second-place finish behind Spain allowed England to continue their campaign in League A, where the stakes are now particularly high. The Young Lions must finish in the top three of their group to keep their hopes of reaching the UEFA U19 EURO 2027 finals alive. The bottom-placed teams in each group will be eliminated, while the League B group winners will be promoted to League A for the final round.
For this latest challenge, Ben Futcher can once again call upon several players who have already established themselves within this age group. Chizaram Ezenwata will be one of the key players to watch after an excellent first round. The Chelsea forward scored three goals in three appearances in October and will be looking to maintain that form against Slovenia. Reigan Heskey, Ryan McAidoo, Luca Williams-Barnett, Kaden Braithwaite and Reggie Walsh are also among the players who have become important figures in this England side.
The England squad has, however, undergone one change since the initial selection was announced. Tottenham Hotspur defender Malachi Hardy was initially called up but was subsequently replaced by Marli Salmon due to injury. The Arsenal defender, who had been selected for the England U18s during the November international break, has therefore joined the U19 squad for this second qualifying round. It is the only change made by Futcher ahead of the start of this new phase.
England will now have to quickly settle into life in Austria, with three fixtures to be played across the space of six days. Following Wednesday’s meeting with Slovenia, the Young Lions will face Belarus on Saturday, 14 November at 12pm, again in Linz, before concluding the second round against hosts Austria on Tuesday, 17 November at 1pm at Wiener Neustädter Stadium. A positive start against Slovenia would therefore put England in a strong position heading into the final two matchdays and allow them to put pressure on their direct rivals.
With qualification for the final round firmly in their sights, the Young Lions will need to show the focus and consistency required from the very first fixture to secure one of the top three places in the group, although the task appears well within their capabilities.
The England U19 starting XI to face Slovenia:
- Dylan Moody (Southampton)
- Dean Benamar (Crystal Palace)
- Kaden Braithwaite (Manchester City)
- Marli Salmon (Arsenal FC)
- Dante Headley (Manchester City)
- Louis Page (Leicester City)
- Reggie Walsh (Wigan Athletic, on loan from Chelsea)
- Reigan Heskey (1. FC Köln, on loan from Manchester City)
- Ryan McAidoo (Manchester City)
- Luca Williams-Barnett (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Chizaram Ezenwata (Chelsea)
