England team news leak as Newcastle United summer transfer target set to start v Ukraine

Newcastle United transfer target James Maddison is line to start for England in Sunday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine.

Sky Sports have reported the Leicester City star will start on the left-hand side of a front three and replace Manchester City star Jack Grealish in Gareth Southgate’s starting eleven. That move would see the former Norwich City star earn only his second England cap, just over three and a half years since making his debut in a 7-0 win against Montenegro in a Euro 2020 qualifier.

Speaking after handing Maddison a call-up for his side’s opening Euro 2024 qualifying fixtures against Italy and Ukraine, Southgate said: “He obviously missed a period when he came back from the World Cup. That was a little bit of a surprise because we felt he was in a good place when he left us.

“We have been working closely with Leicester’s medical team over the last few weeks, our medics, and we’ve got a clear picture of what his training schedule is. He is one who isn’t able to train as regularly as you’d like but in the games he has been in he has had a good impact so we still wanted the opportunity to pick him. But, we know we have got to manage him carefully.”

The playmaker remained an unused substitute in Thursday night’s hard-earned 2-1 win in Italy but is now set to be handed an opportunity to show what he can offer on the international stage against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.

Newcastle supporters will be watching on with interest after reports Maddison has been made one of the Magpies priority targets for the summer transfer window, 12 months after they made several unsuccessful offers to persuade Leicester to part company with one of their prize assets.