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European Under-21s Championship | Group Stage

Oct 16, 2012 at 5pm UK

Serbia Serbia
0-1
England

Stuart Pearce: 'We are ready for penalties'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 16 October 2012

England Under-21s manager Stuart Pearce insists that his side will be prepared for a penalty shootout if they fail to hold onto their slender advantage over Serbia.

England Under-21s manager Stuart Pearce has revealed that his side practise penalties in every training session as they prepare for the second leg of their European Championship qualifier with Serbia.

A Craig Dawson penalty handed England a slender advantage from Friday's first leg, and Pearce has insisted that Dawson will retain penalty duties should England earn a penalty in Krusevac on Tuesday.

Pearce told TheFA.com: "We're all ready for penalties as we normally are. We practise them after every training session. If Craig is playing, he'll be our penalty taker.

"No doubt some people were squirming around when a defender went up to take the penalty on Friday. But when you've seen Craig Dawson take penalties for the best part of a year and a half, and you've got all the stats on the board, the penalty order speaks for itself."

Pearce will go into the match without Manchester City midfielder Jack Rodwell, who pulled out of the squad on Monday with a hamstring injury.