England and Croatia meet in their next UEFA Nations League fixture on Thursday as the Three Lions look to continue their winning run.
England vs Croatia – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 12th November.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Wembley, London.
England team news
England manager Thomas Tuchel is navigating significant defensive absences ahead of the UEFA Nations League clash at Wembley Stadium, though captain Harry Kane is confirmed to start and set a new all-time men’s appearance record with his 126th cap.
Centre-back Marc Guéhi withdrew from the squad due to a hip injury, while Ezri Konsa (knee) and Djed Spence have been ruled out as they follow individual training programs ahead of Sunday’s match against Spain.
Myles Lewis-Skelly is serving a one-match suspension, and wingers Bukayo Saka (quadriceps) and Marcus Rashford (hip) are also injured, while Cole Palmer was omitted from the November squad.
To bolster the backline, Dan Burn and uncapped defender James Hill received late call-ups, with midfielders Jobe Bellingham and Josh King also eyeing senior debuts. Meanwhile, Declan Rice and Ben White return to the fold after missing the previous camp.
Croatia team news
Croatia coach Slaven Bilić faces a heavily depleted squad across both defense and attack as his side looks to bounce back at Wembley from last month’s 7-0 defeat to England.
Veteran winger Ivan Perišić is unavailable while serving a one-match suspension following his red card against Spain. The defensive line is stretched thin with centre-backs Josip Šutalo (hamstring) and Marin Pongračić (thigh) both ruled out through injury.
In midfield, Kristijan Jakić is sidelined with a knee ligament issue, while Luka Sučić is battling a fever and remains a major doubt to feature.
Attacking options are similarly limited, as forwards Andrej Kramarić (fitness) and Franjo Ivanović (concussion) are unavailable for selection.
Despite these numerous setbacks, Croatia will rely on experienced leaders like Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, and Joško Gvardiol to anchor a predicted 4-2-3-1 lineup alongside striker Ante Budimir.
Form
England
England enter this fixture in commanding form, sitting second in League A Group 3 with nine points from four matches. After opening their campaign with a narrow 3-2 home loss to Spain in September, Thomas Tuchel’s side rebounded with three consecutive clean-sheet victories. They defeated Czechia 2-0 away and 3-0 at home, sandwiching a historic 7-0 thrashing of Croatia in Rijeka, leaving them just one point shy of securing a quarter-final berth.
Croatia
Croatia are enduring a difficult run of form, occupying third place in League A Group 3 with just three points from four outings. Following an encouraging 2-1 opening away victory over Czechia in September, Slaven Bilić’s team suffered three straight defeats. They fell 4-1 and 2-1 to Spain either side of a record-breaking 7-0 home humiliation against England, conceding 13 goals across those three matches and risking an unprecedented fourth consecutive loss.
Predicted lineups
England: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Branthwaite, Hall; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Croatia: Livakovic; Stanisic, Vuskovic, Caleta-Car, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Vlasic, Mario Pasalic, Baturina; Budimir
How to watch England vs Croatia?
Viewers in the UK can watch the England vs Croatia match live and free-to-air on ITV1 (and STV in Scotland), with streaming available on ITVX.
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