Colchester United's Weston Homes Community Stadium will play host to England under-21s' vital European Championship qualifier against Lithuania.

The game will take place on September 7 with a 4pm kick-off, just hours before the England senior team's own European Championship qualifier against Switzerland.

England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce said: "We're delighted to be heading to Colchester and we're really hoping that the match will turn out to be a success on every front.

"We appreciate the kick-off time is difficult for some people, coming that little bit earlier in the day to avoid a clash with the seniors but by the same token we hope that it might just help a few others to get to the game.

"It will be a tough game, we know that for sure and that's why we need as many people as we can to get across and support us."

Tickets for the game will be available from the club from 9am on Monday.

It is the third time the U's home ground has been chosen to host an England fixture in its two-year history.

The venue also staged the under-19 friendly international between England and Germany in November, 2008, in addition to last year's England-Iceland Women's international.

For all of the latest U's news, see the Colchester Daily Gazette.