Albania vs England – World Cup qualifier preview and team news | OneFootball

England conclude their FIFA World Cup qualification campaign this weekend with a trip to Albania. 

Already assured of direct qualification for next summer’s tournament in North America, Thomas Tuchel’s side will look to fine-tune their preparations in a dead-rubber encounter.

Albania have already sewn up second place in Group K and a place in the play-offs as they look to reach the World Cup for the first time ever.

Albania vs England – World Cup qualifier preview and team news

Albania team news

Head coach Sylvinho will demand maximum concentration from his squad despite the mathematical elimination from direct qualification. The Albanian midfield has proven reliable throughout the qualifying campaign, with Kristjan Asllani orchestrating play from the centre.

Armando Broja leads the Albanian attack and recently returned from a lengthy Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him for much of 2024, quickly re-establishing himself as a starter on the right wing and providing an assist in the opening 3-0 victory over Andorra.

England team news

England head into Sunday’s fixture with a relatively clean bill of health, though injuries have struck at crucial moments during this international window. Nick Pope and Anthony Gordon both withdrew from the squad earlier this week through injury, with Trevoh Chalobah and James Trafford called up as cover.

Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi has also been ruled out after suffering a foot injury while Conference League action for his club.

However, Thomas Tuchel will have plenty of attacking options at his disposal. Jude Bellingham has returned to full fitness following shoulder surgery and comes back into contention, with the Real Madrid star expected to provide competition for Morgan Rogers in the attacking midfield role.

Bukayo Saka delivered a stunning performance against Serbia, opening the scoring with a delightful volley in the 28th minute, and the Arsenal winger has allayed injury concerns by confirming he merely required a boot change during that victory.

This final qualifier presents an opportunity for Tuchel to evaluate his squad depth ahead of the World Cup. The squad’s competitive nature has been praised by the manager, with substitute opportunities proving decisive in recent victories.

Form

Albania: WWWWW

Sylvinho’s side has shown resilience and tactical discipline throughout the qualifying campaign, recovering from the setback of defeat in the first match against England to secure runners-up status. Their most recent performance against Andorra demonstrated the mental fortitude required to navigate a competitive group, with Asllani’s late strike breaking stubborn Andorran resistance.

Read – Tuchel keen to build England side without ego

England

Thomas Tuchel’s England won their last qualifying match in commanding fashion with a dominant 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley on Thursday evening. The Three Lions have now recorded seven consecutive wins in Group K, scoring twenty goals without conceding, a record that underscores their overwhelming superiority in this competition.

Predicted lineups

Albania: Strakosha; Hysaj, Ajeti, Djimsiti, Mitaj; Asllani, Shehu; Broja, Laci, Hoxha; Manaj

England: Pickford; Spence, Konsa, Stones, Burn; Wharton, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Eze; Kane

How to watch Albania vs England?

ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player will broadcast the fixture live for UK audiences.

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