Villa Park is in line to host England’s next home World Cup qualifier as Thomas Tuchel’s side spend the next two camps away from Wembley, the PA news agency understands.
Sir Gareth Southgate’s successor enjoyed a winning start to life at the helm, with Friday’s 2-0 victory against Albania followed by Monday’s 3-0 triumph against Latvia as the qualification campaign got under way under the arch.
But England’s senior men’s team will not return to the national stadium until the friendly against Wales on October 9.
Tuchel’s side are hosting Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on June 10 and the Football Association recently confirmed its intention to play Andorra “away from Wembley” on September 6.
Coldplay are playing 10 concerts at the national stadium between August 22 and September 8, and PA understands Villa Park has been lined up to host the Group K qualifier.
Aston Villa’s stadium last welcomed the senior men’s team in a 2005 friendly against the Netherlands.
Villa Park was due to host England’s final European Championship warm-up match in June 2020, but the friendly against Romania had to be scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wembley will only host two more men’s internationals this year, with October’s friendly against Wales followed by the November qualifier against Serbia.
Meanwhile, PA understands Tuchel’s first away game as England boss against Andorra on June 7 could be held away from the principality.
England played at the Estadi Nacional on their last visit in October 2021 and, with a new stadium seemingly unlikely to be ready, reports have emerged that June’s qualifier could move to Espanyol’s ground in Barcelona.
The Andorran Football Federation and UEFA have been contacted in a bid to seek clarification about the location of the Group K qualifier.
