BEN GIBSON faces a nervous 24 hours as he waits to discover whether he will be involved in England’s decisive final group game with Italy at the European Under-21 Championships in the Czech Republic.

Gibson performed superbly as Gareth Southgate’s side claimed their first points of the tournament courtesy of a 1-0 win over Sweden on Sunday night.

The Middlesbrough centre-half was one of England’s key performers as they claimed a result that guarantees they will make the semi-finals if they beat Italy tomorrow.

However, with Everton’s John Stones available again after missing the opening two games of the tournament through concussion, Southgate is expected to reshape his back four for the Group B decider in Olomouc.

Stones suffered concussion when he collided with Jack Butland during a training session last Tuesday, but having returned to full training with the rest of the squad, the 21-year-old is expected to be promoted straight back into the starting XI despite England’s resolute defensive efforts in their opening two matches.

That would mean either Gibson or Leicester’s Liam Moore dropping out of the starting line-up, and Southgate’s comments before the start of the tournament suggest it is likely to be the former.

That would be extremely harsh on Gibson, who was a mainstay of the qualifying campaign, but Moore is regarded as a more experienced option after a season that saw him make ten Premier League starts for the Foxes.

Nevertheless, Gibson’s performances on the international stage have bolstered his already sky-high reputation, with a host of Premier League scouts sure to have taken notice of his efforts at the end of a season that saw him successfully establish himself as one of the most effective centre-halves in the Championship.

The Boro hierarchy anticipate a high degree of interest in his services this summer, but are adamant he will not be going anywhere as he is an integral part of Aitor Karanka’s plans.

Gibson, who is the nephew of Boro chairman, Steve, signed a new five-year deal last August and the Teessiders will not entertain any attempts to lure him away from the Riverside.

Boro continue to pursue transfer targets of their own, but have dismissed speculation linking them with Real Betis midfielder Xavi Torres.

* Tickets for Boro’s pre-season game at Doncaster on July 25 will go on sale at 9.30am this morning, priced £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.