England’s Futsal squad are in Thailand this weekend for a four nation tournament across four days.
The Three Lions will take on the host nation, Uzbekistan and Malaysia at the impressive Huamark Stadium in Bangkok.
And head coach Michael Skubala has selected a 14-man squad for the trip, on the back of the two games with Croatia at St. George’s Park last month which were both streamed live by the BBC.
“It’s another great opportunity for us to test ourselves against really strong opposition,” said Skubala.
“Thailand are a powerhouse in Futsal and in recent years have been as high as seventh in the world.
“But also to play three different teams outside of Europe with different styles will be a great challenge.”
First up for England will be Thailand on Saturday 20 October (10.15am BST) before Uzbekistan (7.45am BST) are the opposition on Sunday, with a capacity crowd of 15,000 expected to be in attendance.
The final match with Malaysia takes place on Tuesday 23 October, kicking-off at 3.45pm local time or 9.45am in the UK.
“There is no doubt that if the stadium is full it will also bring a different challenge for our Futsal Lions as 15,000 indoor is like 60,000 outdoor and the atmosphere will be a new challenge for this group,” added Skubala.
“The way the tournament has been put together is great and I know Thailand will put on a great event.
“The three games will be a massive test, especially with Thailand and Uzbekistan being at the finals of the last World Cup.”
Skubala’s squad sees a recall for Manchester’s Jordan Edge who impressed recently in an England U23s game with Wales.
But England remain without Max Kilman, who recently signed a professional contract for Wolverhampton Wanderers and the experienced William Wallace, who is also unavailable due to club commitments in France.
The squad
Mark Croft - Guardia Perticara
Jonny Sim - Helvecia Futsal Club
Stuart Cook - Helvecia Futsal Club
Raoni Medina - Helvecia Futsal Club
Richard Ward - Helvecia Futsal Club
James Webb - Futsal Club Gambette
Calvin Dickson - Helvecia Futsal Club
Russell Goldstein - Helvecia Futsal Club
Robbie Bettson - York City Futsal Club
Liam Palfreeman - Helvecia Futsal Club
Doug Reed - Sussex Futsal Club
Curtis Mason - Loughborough Futsal
Jordan Edge - Manchester Futsal Club
Nathan Davis - Loughborough Futsal Club
