The biggest event of the summer next year will be the European Championships, and the teams that will be competing at the huge event have now been finalised following the conclusion of the playoff finals this week. There looks set to be a number of Newcastle United players involved in the competition next summer, but which players could Toon fans see England come up against during the competition?
Martin Dubravka
One of the players that would have been watching the EURO playoff finals with added intrigue would have been Newcastle’s number one Martin Dubravka. The 31-year-old has been kept out with an injury for much of the season, but he will likely be fit again to take his place in goal for Slovakia in the summer.
Slovakia booked their passage through to the EUROs by beating Northern Ireland in extra time in a heartbreaking defeat for the home side. Their reward for that victory is a place in a competitive looking Group E next summer. It promises to be one of the most intriguing for gamblers, with Spain likely to be the runaway favourites to progress. Gamblers will be able to utilise a bonus code to bet on Spain to qualify from the group. You can check this guide for more info about offers for the European Championships.
Fabian Schar
Swiss international Fabian Schar will also be looking forward to playing for his country at the European Championships next summer. The Swiss didn’t need to rely on the playoffs, as they qualified for the competition through the traditional qualifying route after topping a group also involving Denmark and the Republic of Ireland.
There will be a sense that Switzerland should be able to make it out of their group at the EUROs next summer, as they were drawn in Group A alongside Italy, Turkey and Wales. Schar will be a pivotal player for their chances of success next summer.
Emil Kraft
Newcastle right-back Emil Kraft will also be one of the stars that will be looking to qualify for the knockout stages of the European Championships, as he will be representing Sweden next summer.
Kraft will come up against his Newcastle teammate in the group stages of the EUROs, as Sweden were drawn in the same group as Slovakia. It could be a race between these two countries to challenge for the second spot in the group, with Poland likely to be the biggest challenge standing in their way.
Ryan Fraser
Newcastle new boy Ryan Fraser would have been celebrating long into the night with his Scottish teammates this past week, as Scotland reached a major tournament for the first time in 22 years. It was a cagey night in Serbia, as Scotland needed a penalty shootout to edge past their talented opponents.
However, David Marshall was the hero for the Scots, and they can now target a route through a difficult looking Group D next summer. All attention will already be on the showdown with England at Wembley, which promises to be a memorable occasion for players on both sides.