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Three Newcastle United players will be hoping for a start tonight when Thomas Tuchel names his starting XI for England’s clash with Albania
England face Albania at Wembley tonight in the first of a World Cup qualifying double-header at Wembley. Latvia are Monday night’s opponents for the Three Lions - but first up for Tuchel’s side at Wembley are the side ranked 65th in the world: Albania.
For Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon, tonight marks another opportunity to add another cap to their burgeoning international career. For Dan Burn, though, it marks a potential historic moment and a day where he could make his international debut, at Wembley, five days after helping Newcastle United to Carabao Cup glory.
“I'm not just coming here to be a cheerleader and help the boys out, I want to play,” Burn said this week. “I feel like I’m a leader on and off the pitch and I feel as though I fit into that role.
“I know it's going to be tough with all of these international players here and I feel like I've been doubted a lot over my career. There's not a lot of people at Darlington who would say I'd be sat here doing a press conference for England.
“I've waited a long time for this opportunity and I didn't want to spoil it. He [Tuchel] said I've been playing well for a long time.
“I feel being in that first camp is important. It means I am there, but I don't want to be there for no reason. I want to be there because I have proved [I should] be there.
“Every little kid's dream is to play in a World Cup. I’d never played any international football, and I did think it had passed us by at 32. But when the new manager came in, it was that feeling of 'you never know'.”
But will Burn make his debut tonight? Early reports suggest that he is in contention to start at Wembley and that he will certainly, at the very least, be on the bench and in with a chance of earning that first cap.
According to BBC Sport, Burn, Gordon and Livramento have all been named in Tuchel’s 23-man matchday squad for tonight’s game. Tuchel is required to trim his initial 26-man squad to 23 for a matchday with all three of Newcastle United’s representatives set to make the cut.
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Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale will reportedly miss-out with Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson and James Trafford named in the squad. Jarell Quansah, who was on the losing side at Wembley on Sunday, is also expected to miss out along with Morgan Gibbs-White. The Nottingham Forest man was a late addition to Tuchel’s squad after Cole Palmer withdrew through injury.
England ‘leaked’ squad v Albania
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, James Trafford
Defenders: Dan Burn, Levi Colwill, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tino Livramento, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Dominic Solanke
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