Fresh faces for Under-21s
By Jamie Bradbury in Germany
Monday, 15 November, 2010
Two squad debutants and two familiar faces travel to Germany.
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Stuart Pearce’s England Under-21s touched down in gloomy weather in Germany on Monday with four fresh faces added to a much-changed squad.
Connor Wickham and Steven Caulker come in for squad debuts, making up an 18-strong travelling party, ahead of tomorrow evening’s game in Wiesbaden.
The addition of defenders Micah Richards and Chris Smalling to Fabio Capello’s senior squad, coupled with a mounting injury list, forced England Coach Pearce to call-up reinforcements before this morning’s flight to Frankfurt.
By that time the Under-21 squad had been thinned yet further by the withdrawal, through injury, of Fabrice Muamba, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and ‘keeper Frank Fielding.
Experienced Watford stopper Scott Loach was called up in place of Fielding, and he was soon joined by Barnsley’s loanee full-back Kieran Trippier, who also featured in the Under-21s recent play-off squad against Romania.
Ipswich prodigy Wickham is no stranger to the Three Lions, having featured throughout the England age-groups and, most recently, for Noel Blake’s U19s in their Championship qualifying campaign.
Caulker also gets promotion from the U19s, the Spurs central defender having impressed this season whilst on loan at Bristol City.
You can follow England Under-21s during the build-up and throughout next summer's Finals right here on TheFA.com and also at www.facebook.com/EnglandU21s.