MX23RW : Thursday, December 12 22:23:04| >> :600:1942136:1942136:

5 talking points as England return to Wembley for Andorra qualifier

5 talking points as England return to Wembley for Andorra qualifier
© Reuters
It will be the first Three Lions game at the national stadium since the Euro 2020 final.

England return to Wembley for the first since losing the Euro 2020 final when they host Andorra in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

The Three Lions have won their opening four games of Group I and will be heavy favourites to continue that run when they are back under the arch.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the main talking points ahead of Sunday's fixture.

Fans under the spotlight

England fans outside Webley before the Euro 2020 final
England fans outside Webley before the Euro 2020 final (Zac Goodwin/PA)

After the trouble surrounding the defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final which saw turnstiles stormed, flares let off and issues up and down Wembley Way, the behaviour of fans on Sunday will be closely monitored.

Around 65,000 supporters will be in attendance and, with UEFA sanctions hanging over the Football Association, the hope will be that there are no repeats this time around.

Support for social media targets

Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka
Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka (Nick Potts/PA)

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka suffered online racist abuse following their missed penalties in the shootout loss to Italy.

England boss Gareth Southgate said on the eve of further issues of racism in Hungary on Thursday that it is difficult to criticise other countries when there are still problems at home.

Supporter groups have raised the funds for a crowd banner showing support for the trio, with only Saka set to be involved in the game.

A change is as good as a rest

Gareth Southgate is set to make changes
Gareth Southgate is set to make changes (Mike Egerton/PA)

Having won in Budapest on Thursday and with a trip to Poland to come on Tuesday, Southgate has said he will make alterations to his team against Andorra.

That means the likes of Nick Pope, Conor Coady, Tyrone Mings and Jude Bellingham will be keen to earn a rare start.

It is also likely to give more established players such as Harry Kane, Harry Maguire and Raheem Sterling the chance to rest up again of the game in Warsaw.

Forward thinking

Patrick Bamford, right, could make his England debut
Patrick Bamford, right, could make his England debut (Nick Potts/PA)

If Kane does move to the bench the chances are Southgate will hand a debut to Leeds striker Patrick Bamford.

The former under-21 international has scored 18 Premier League goals in 41 appearances with Leeds and was considered an outside shot for making the Euro 2020 squad before being overlooked.

Kane, however, will be keen for some game time as he needs just one more goal to move level with Michael Owen on 40.

Andorra in form...

Andorra head to Wembley having won just their second game since March 2018.

Koldo Alvarez's side beat fellow Group I minnows San Marino 2-0 on Thursday night with Sandefjord defender Marc Vales scoring a brace.

Andorra have, however, lost all four previous meetings with England with an aggregate score of 16-0.

ID:462268:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect9332:
Written by
P A
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
England manager Gareth Southgate pictured on July 11, 2021
Read Next:
Gareth Southgate expecting England to get a 'fantastic reception' at Wembley
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
Read more about Andorra England Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!