Elliott and Smith Rowe are in the running to replace injured Ramsey
Harvey Elliott and Emile Smith Rowe are in the running to replace injured Jacob Ramsey as Lee Carsley ponders changes for England U21s’ Euro semi-final against Israel
- England will face Israel on Wednesday after beating Portugal 1-0 in the last-eight
- Jacob Ramsey will see a specialist to decide whether he will need ankle surgery
- Lee Carsley backs James Trafford to thrive at Burnley ahead of £19million move
Lee Carsley will decide between either Emile Smith Rowe or Harvey Elliott to replace the injured Jacob Ramsey in his team to take on Israel on Wednesday.
Carsley’s England Under 21s are on red hot form as they eye a place in the final of the European Championship for the first time since 2009.
The Young Lions have not conceded in four straight games – largely down to the heroics of Burnley-bound James Trafford in goal – and will take on Israel for a place in the showpiece spectacle in Georgia.
However, their charge has been dealt a bitter blow, with Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey sent home early after an ankle injury, leaving Carsley with a decision to make ahead of one of the biggest games of his career on Wednesday.
Both Elliott and Smith Rowe are being considered to come into the side, with Carsley able to draw upon two players with Premier League experience.
Emile Smith Rowe is England’s joint-top scorer at the U21 Euros with two goals in the competition
Harvey Elliott has been on the scoresheet too, netting against Germany in the final group clash
Lee Carsley has a decision to make between both Smith Rowe and Elliot ahead of Wednesday’s clash
The Arsenal forward is joint-top scorer for Carsley’s side in the competition with Newcastle youngster Anthony Gordon, both hitting the back of the net twice.
One of those came against Wednesday night’s opponents in the group stage, assisted by Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, with the other against the Czech Republic, both in 2-0 wins.
He has also featured on both side’s of Carsley’s three attacking midfielders in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, highlighting the versatility that he brings to the side.
Elliott, on the other hand, has scored just the one goal – doing so against Germany in the final group game – before leaving the squad for the final fixture for a family engagement ahead of their last-eight clash.
The Liverpool starlet does have one stat going in his favour, and that is the fact that he played close to 10 times as many minutes in the top-flight last term.
Smith Rowe struggled to break into the first team under Mikel Arteta with Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka all shining, and managed just 161 Premier League minutes across 12 games, all coming from the bench.
Carsley has already spoken of the work his side have done to try to get the best out of the Arsenal youngster.
‘What we’ve tried to do is remove the pressure from Emile,’ he said.
Jacob Ramsey’s injury leaves Carsley with a selection quandary on the left of his three attacking midfielders
The Young Lions will also be without right backs Ben Johnson (right) and Max Aarons through suspension
‘It’s important that he enjoys his football and plays with confidence and a smile. Wearing the No 10 at Arsenal is a tough thing, especially with the history that shirt has got.
‘I don’t think it has weighed him down, but I think there is a pressure that goes with it, which he has shown he can handle. Since he has been in camp with us, he has been outstanding in every session. You see a different player when he is playing with confidence and energy.’
Elliott however racked up an impressive 1609 for Jurgen Klopp’s side, starting in 18 of his 32 games, so he comes into the tournament with far greater match fitness than his team-mate.
Carsley also has a defensive headache to negotiate against Israel, with threatening forward Oscar Gloukh to consider, as he will be missing both Max Aarons and Ben Johnson through suspension.
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