James Maddison: England set to start Leicester playmaker on left wing against Ukraine | Football News

Marjory Copeland26 March 2023

Read Time:1 Minute, 46 Second

James Maddison is expected to make his first start for England against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday – with the Leicester City playmaker set to line up on the left wing.

There were widespread calls for Maddison to be included in the England World Cup squad but, when he was, injury prevented him playing a single minute in Qatar.

Since making his international debut as a substitute against Montenegro three-and-a-half years ago, injuries and selection dilemmas have meant Maddison has missed out on playing for his country.

He has played only 35 minutes of senior international football in his career.

But Sky Sports News has been told his attitude in Qatar – remaining positive and supportive of his team-mates, even when he did not get his chance on the pitch – impressed boss Gareth Southgate and the rest of the England coaches.

His performances in training in the last week have done likewise and the 26-year-old now looks set to start in the Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine, winning his first cap since 2019.

More to follow…

Where and when is Euro 2024?

Germany are hosting the tournament which is scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 14 2024.

The format will be the same as Euro 2020 where the top two in each of the six final tournament groups will proceed to the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed finishers.

What do England need to qualify from Group C?

The group winners and runners-up advance directly to the final tournament of 24 teams.

The remaining three teams will be decided through the play-offs, featuring 12 teams selected based on their performance in the 2022/23 Nations League.