Abraham Poised For U21 Debut

The Under-21 manager, who has stepped up to the role following Gareth Southgate’s elevation to the senior setup, says he won’t be afraid to throw the Chelsea hotshot straight into the team for the Euro qualifier in Aktobe.

Boothroyd said: “I know him, I wouldn’t have any problems (starting him).

“I said to him when he first arrived if he’d scored any goals on the way back from the toilet? It just seems whatever he touches goes in, it’s great for Bristol City, great for Chelsea and really good for England.

“He is playing at a good level, scoring goals and showing people that, actually, we have a lot of talented English players in the system who just need an opportunity and someone brave enough to play them.”

Abraham has netted 11 times in 14 outings for City so far this season and is the leading scorer in the Sky Bet Championship currently.

England Under-21 have another fixture on Tuesday as they host Bosnia-Herzegovina in Walsall. They require just one win to secure a place at next summer’s Under-21 European Championships.