England vs Wales – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

England and Wales renew their historic rivalry at Wembley Stadium on Thursday evening as the Three Lions prepare for their first friendly fixture since the summer.

Both nations will use this encounter as crucial preparation for their upcoming World Cup qualifying commitments, with England facing Latvia next Tuesday and Wales taking on Belgium in a pivotal Group J clash on Monday.

England vs Wales – Match Preview and Team News

England Team News

Thomas Tuchel faces significant selection decisions after omitting several high-profile players from his latest squad. Jude Bellingham, despite being named England’s Player of the Year for 2024-25, has been left out due to his limited game time at Real Madrid following shoulder surgery. The 22-year-old has started just one match this season and hasn’t completed 90 minutes for his club.

Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish are also absent. Tuchel explained their non-selections: “We decided very quickly that we want to reward everyone and bring the same group back into camp” following September’s impressive 5-0 victory over Serbia.

Harry Kane emerges as a major doubt for the friendly after missing team training on Wednesday due to an ankle injury. The Bayern Munich striker, who has netted 18 goals in 11 matches this season, was forced off during Bayern’s recent victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. Should Kane be unavailable, Ollie Watkins is expected to lead the line.

Bukayo Saka returns to the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him in September. John Stones is also back after missing last month’s internationals through injury, while Trent Alexander-Arnold remains unavailable with a hamstring problem.

Nico O’Reilly has received his first senior call-up after Reece James withdrew with an injury sustained at the weekend.

Wales Team News

Craig Bellamy has been dealt a significant blow. Captain Aaron Ramsey has withdrawn from the squad due to a fresh injury setback. The 34-year-old midfielder, who had returned to international duty for the first time since September 2024, suffered discomfort during training with Pumas UNAM and was subsequently ruled out of their weekend fixture against Chivas.

Daniel James is also unavailable. The Leeds winger sustained an ankle injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks. Cardiff City duo Isaak Davies and Rubin Colwill have been called up as replacements.

Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, and Nathan Broadhead return to the squad after missing September’s international window through injury. Ben Davies could earn his 100th cap should he feature against England and Belgium, joining an exclusive group of Welsh centurions alongside Gareth Bale, Wayne Hennessey, and Chris Gunter.

Kieffer Moore enters the match in excellent form, having scored in each of his last two Wales appearances against Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan. The Wrexham striker has never previously netted in three consecutive international matches.

Form

England

Tuchel’s side ended their recent struggles with an emphatic performance in Belgrade, where they dismantled Serbia 5-0 in what was described as their best display under the German coach. The victory followed a routine 2-0 home win over Andorra, with England now sitting top of World Cup Qualifying Group K with maximum points from five matches.

However, the Three Lions have lost their last two friendly matches, suffering defeats to Iceland (1-0) and Senegal (3-1). England have scored in each of their last 16 matches across all competitions, equaling their joint-longest scoring streak this century.

Wales

Wales enter the fixture having lost their last encounter, a narrow 1-0 defeat to Canada in September. Craig Bellamy’s side has shown marked improvement since his appointment, achieving promotion in the UEFA Nations League and making an impressive start to his tenure.

The Dragons are winless in their last 11 away friendly matches, dating back to November 2008 when current manager Bellamy scored the winner against Denmark. Wales have failed to score in each of their last 10 such games, going 938 minutes without finding the net in away friendlies.

Predicted Lineups

England: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Burn, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Saka, Gordon; Watkins

Wales: Darlow; Williams, Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Ampadu, J. James; Johnson, Wilson, Thomas; Moore

How to Watch England vs Wales?

UK fans can watch the match live on ITV1.

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