England will take on Costa Rica on Wednesday night in their last international friendly before kicking off their FIFA World Cup campaign next week against Croatia.
The Three Lions head into this final warm-up match showing gradual improvement under manager Thomas Tuchel. They came through their World Cup qualifying run in dominant fashion without dropping points, and have since faced tougher opposition in recent friendlies. England earned a solid 1-1 draw against Uruguay, followed by a narrow 1-0 loss to Japan. They responded positively in their latest outing, securing a 1-0 win over New Zealand.
England team news
England have received a timely boost ahead of this fixture, with several Arsenal players joining the squad after completing their club duties in Europe. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke are now available for selection.
Tuchel is expected to give his main players between 60 and 70 minutes on the pitch as he focuses on building match sharpness ahead of the tournament.
There is, however, some caution around Bukayo Saka, who is still being monitored due to an Achilles problem carried over from the club season.
In the goalkeeping department, Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson are both in contention to start, although Henderson linked up with the squad later than the others after featuring in the Conference League final.
Phil Foden, meanwhile, is not part of the tournament squad, as Tuchel continues to test different tactical options within the team.
This friendly represents England’s final opportunity to refine their approach and settle on key decisions before their World Cup group stage begins.
England predicted lineup
Possible England starting XI: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 9pm BST on Wednesday, 10th May.
How to watch England vs Costa Rica?
Fans in the UK can watch England vs Costa Rica live on ITV1.
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