Mark Noble is set to return for England Under-21s as they play host to France in a friendly in Nottingham tonight.
The 21-year-old Noble is expected to be named in Stuart Pearce's starting XI after being rested for the 5-0 win against Norway on Friday. Although the match in Sandefjord was played in the face of some extreme wintery weather, Noble is expecting a tougher test at Nottingham Forest's City Ground this evening.
"People say they are friendlies but they aren't really because we have got a major tournament coming up in the summer and we need to keep the momentum going and keep winning games leading up to the championships," Noble said.
"No disrespect to Norway, but France is going to be a tougher game. Personally, I haven't lost a game since the penalty shoot-out in Holland and I want to keep that record up until we get to the championships and then I want to get to the final and win it. It'd be silly for us not to aim for that given the squad we have got."
Noble is aiming to use the match as an indicator of how the team may do in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals in Sweden in June.
"The game could give us an idea of how we might do in the summer because France are going to be a similar test to the sides that we have got in our group, who are all top nations and great footballing sides.
"If we put in a performance and beat one of the best sides in Europe then we will be sure that we can go there and win the tournament."
Meanwhile, Freddie Sears, James Tomkins and Junior Stanislas could be involved in England Under-20s' friendly with Italy at Loftus Road, as they look to begin preparations for this summer's FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt. For more on that game click here.
Young goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet hepled his Turkish Under-17 reach the finals of the UEFA European Under-17 finals in Germany this summer with a 2-0 win over Finland. Click here here for more on that game.