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Already-qualified England complete their Euro 2024 qualification campaign away to North Macedonia on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the Group C finale in Skopje, the PA news agency has looked at five of the main talking points.<\/p>\n
Gareth Southgate\u2019s men have ultimately cruised to qualification from a potentially tricky pool, going unbeaten across 2023 in the process. England have not looked back since rebounding from their World Cup quarter-final defeat to France by winning at reigning European champions Italy, going on to qualify with two games to spare. They all but sealed a place in the top pot for next month\u2019s Euro 2024 draw by beating Malta 2-0 on Friday, taking this year\u2019s record to eight wins in nine matches in all competitions. Southgate says he wants to end the year on a high and wants to build momentum by going undefeated all the way through to Euro 2024.<\/p>\n
England face March tests against Brazil and Belgium in Wembley friendlies, with another couple of home matches lined-up as Southgate\u2019s side fine-tune for their shot at glory in Germany. It means Monday\u2019s qualifier in Skopje will be their final match on foreign soil until the Euros get under way in June, with Southgate saying it will be good to be in \u201ca challenging environment because that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to be in next summer\u201d. There will be 2,332 travelling fans at the sold out 32,000-capacity Tose Proeski Arena, which may also end up playing host to Southgate\u2019s final qualifier as England boss.<\/p>\n
Southgate has dealt with a disruptive build-up and saw his already absentee-hit selection compounded by five of his initial group withdrawing through injury. A further three players have been absent for periods for the meet-up due to personal reasons, with Kieran Trippier among those and leaving the camp on Sunday, while Jarrod Bowen later withdrew after sustaining a knee injury in training. It means England have travelled to Skopje with just 21 players and Southgate is having to balance load, fitness and freshness for a potential dead rubber that will see wholesale changes. Cole Palmer will be hoping to make his first start after making his debut off the bench on Friday. The Chelsea talent was a late call-up along with Ezri Konsa and Rico Lewis, who will be hoping to win their first cap in the Balkans.<\/p>\n
Record goalscorer Harry Kane would love to have the chance to pad his stats in Skopje, but surely Southgate will use this opportunity to give Watkins a run out as number nine. No England striker has been able to nail down a position as back-up to the skipper but the in-form Aston Villa striker has a great chance with Ivan Toney banned and Callum Wilson suspended.<\/p>\n
North Macedonia were blown away in June\u2019s reverse fixture at Old Trafford, where they were a far cry from the side that had recently shocked Germany and Italy. Kane struck twice in a 7-0 annihilation that also saw Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips get in on the act, but Bukayo Saka was the star of the show with his tremendous treble. Head coach Blagoja Milevski apologised to the nation in the post-match press conference and said on Sunday that he pledged to show a \u201cnew face\u201d in the rematch. Given they held the Azzurri to a 1-1 draw in Skopje two months ago, it would be a shock if they are not vastly improved.<\/p>\n