England make the journey to Riga when they face Latvia at the Daugavas Stadions on Tuesday night, with Thomas Tuchel’s men in a position to seal qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a victory.
The Three Lions currently have a four-point lead over Albania atop Group K. A win over Latvia would extend England’s lead seal qualification for next summer’s World Cup.
Latvia vs England – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: 14th October, Tuesday.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Daugavas Stadiona, Riga.
Latvia Team News
Paolo Nicolato has a fully fit squad to choose from for the crucial encounter. The Latvia manager made three substitutions at half-time during their disappointing 2-2 draw with Andorra on Saturday, with striker Dario Šits among those. Experienced striker Vladislavs Gutkovskis, who has 12 international goals, scored his latest goal against Andorra and will lead the line.
England Team News
Harry Kane is expected to return to the starting lineup after missing Thursday’s 3-0 victory over Wales due to an ankle injury sustained while playing for Bayern Munich. Manager Thomas Tuchel expressed confidence that the 32-year-old striker would be fit for the encounter in Riga.
However, England have suffered a blow with Ollie Watkins ruled out of the squad. The Aston Villa forward, who scored in the Wales victory, was withdrawn at half-time after colliding with the goalpost. He has not recovered from the knock. Watkins has returned to his club for treatment ahead of their Premier League clash with Tottenham.
Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah has also withdrawn from the squad as a precautionary measure due to a knee injury.
The squad continues to be without several high-profile absentees including Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer. However, Bukayo Saka has returned to the fold after missing the September internationals through injury.
Form
Latvia
Latvia’s hopes of World Cup qualification have been severely dented following their disappointing 2-2 draw with Andorra at home on Saturday. Paolo Nicolato’s side was leading 2-1 through goals from Dmitrijs Zelenkovs and Vladislavs Gutkovskis, only to concede a late equaliser with 12 minutes remaining.
The result leaves Latvia with just five points from six games, six points behind second-placed Albania in the qualification race. The team has won only seven of their last 57 qualifiers and has been beaten in 14 successive games against top-10 nations by an aggregate score of 41-1.
England
Thomas Tuchel’s side impressively ended their last international window with a dominant 5-0 victory over Serbia in Belgrade, their best performance under the German manager. The Three Lions followed that with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Wales at Wembley on Thursday, with goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka coming within the first 20 minutes.
England have been flawless in World Cup qualifying, winning all five matches while scoring 13 goals and remarkably not conceding a single goal. They are the only team in any of the five-nation UEFA groups with a perfect defensive record.
Predicted Lineups
Latvia: Zviedris; Savalnieks, Balodis, Cernomordijs, Jurkovskis, Ciganiks; Zelenkovs, Varslavans; Ikaunieks; Gutkovskis, Sits.
England: Pickford; Konsa, Guehi, Stones, Spence; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Rogers, Rashford; Kane.
How to Watch Latvia vs England?
UK fans can watch the game live on ITV1 and STV.
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See More – What do England need to qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
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