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| Date: Sunday, 2 July Time: 17:00 BST Venue: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium, Kutaisi, Georgia |
England head coach Lee Carsley says he has some of Europe’s best young players as his side look to beat Portugal on Sunday for a place in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals.
The Young Lions have had a perfect start to the tournament in Georgia.
Three consecutive 2-0 victories saw England top their group.
“If we can create an environment where they can express themselves, we’ve got some of the best young players in Europe,” Carsley said.
“If they’re given the opportunity on a regular basis they can show it. Half of it is believing in them. Create a platform for them to create and attack. That for me is success – good players who can produce when it matters.
“It is a big test – the pressure is on. We’ve got 120 minutes to do it in. We’ve prepared for all eventualities and hopefully we can perform again.
“I don’t feel like we’ve got cabin fever and are ready to go. I still feel like there is a lot more from the team. I think they have different levels they can go to.
“We’ve definitely focused on going all the way. I’m not getting a feeling the players are looking beyond this game. Hopefully we’ll be there for the duration.”
England will be without Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliot who has left the camp for a pre-planned family engagement.
Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle is also a doubt for the match at the Ramaz Shengelia Stadium in Kutaisi with a knock on his knee he picked up in training.
The match is available to watch for free on the Uefa website, but currently no broadcaster in the UK has purchased the rights to televise the England team’s matches.
“It’s a little bit frustrating because you always want to showcase the next generation,” Carsley said.
“It would’ve been brilliant for more people to see what the next senior internationals look like. We hope if we can keep progressing then we can get a little bit more coverage.”
If they beat Portugal on Sunday, England will play either hosts Georgia or Israel who they have already beaten in Group C.
The match will be played at the Batumi Arena on Wednesday, July 5 with the final held in the same stadium on July 8.
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By Alex Howell
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