We can confirm that Malachi Hardy and Elijah Upson have been added to England’s squad for the upcoming Under-17 World Cup.
The defensive duo were named on the standby list when the initial squad was announced earlier this month and have now been called into the group as part of a handful of enforced changes made by coach Neil Ryan.
Unfortunately, as part of these, Jun’ai Byfield and Tynan Thompson – who were both named in the initial squad – have had to withdraw from the tournament.
Malachi has been a regular in the England youth set-up over recent seasons and captained the Under-17s last year.
Fellow centre-back Elijah earned his first international call-up at Under-18 level just this month and memorably marked his debut with the winning goal in a friendly against France.
The pair have joined Luca Williams-Barnett, who remains in the squad from the originally-announced list, in reporting for duty in Qatar.
England’s campaign begins on Tuesday 4 November against Venezuela (3.15pm UK) before they face Haiti (Friday 7 November, 12.30pm UK) and Egypt (Monday 10 November, 3.45pm UK) in Group E.
The top two finishers in each group will progress to the knockout stages, beginning with the round of 32, as will the eight best third-place finishers. The final is scheduled for Thursday 27 November at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
All of the Young Lions’ games will be televised live in the UK on ITV.