Lee Carsley is looking to sign off with a win against his own nation as England take on the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League.
Carsley will step aside after this game for the incoming Thomas Tuchel, who formally takes charge as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor in January.
England are far from at full strength for the visit of Ireland to Wembley, with regulars like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, John Stones, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo and Phil Foden having dropped out of the squad.
But that just offers a greater opportunity to some fringe players and younger stars, with Ollie Watkins, Curtis Jones and Noni Madueke among those who impressed in Greece.
Curtis Jones, Kyle Walker, Harry Kane and Morgan Rogers celebrate the Liverpool midfielder’s goal in England’s 3-0 win over Greece
The FA via Getty Images
Date, kick-off time and venue
England vs Ireland is scheduled for a 5pm BST kick-off on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
The match will take place at Wembley Stadium in London.
Where to watch England vs Ireland
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on ITV1 with coverage starting at 4pm.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via the ITVX app.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick, Malik Ouzia and Dom Smith at the ground.
England vs Ireland team news
Lee Carsley has far from a full-strength England squad to choose from, with as many as nine players dropping out of the interim boss’ initial selection.
Harry Kane – who expressed his disappointment at the situation of so many team-mates leaving the camp – has been confirmed as a started against Ireland by Carsley after surprisingly dropping him in favour of Ollie Watkins against Greece.
The injury issues appear to show no signs of abating however, with Ezri Konsa forced off and replaced by Lewis Hall for his debut appearance after the Aston Villa defender picked up a hip injury, meaning Taylor Harwood-Bellis or Jarrell Quansah could earn their first England cap at Wembley.
Kane may be joined in a changed England attack by the likes of Jarrod Bowen or Morgan Rogers, or both, while Jude Bellingham is expected to continue in the No10 role.
Captain Harry Kane will return to the starting line-up
The FA via Getty Images
For Ireland, boss Heimir Hallgrimsson may be forced into at least one change for their visit to London after midfielder Jason Knight picked up his second yellow card of their Nations League campaign during the 1-0 win over Finland on Thursday.
He will serve a one-game suspension against England, while the Boys in Green are also sweating over the fitness of winger Fetsy Ebosele who came off with a suspected injury on his first senior start in midweek.
Kasey McAteer and Finn Azaz are on standby for Ireland, while Jayson Molumby could come in to partner Josh Cullen at the centre of defence with AZ Alkmaar hitman Troy Parrott – who has seven goals to his name in the Dutch Eredivisie this season – an option to replace Sammie Szmodics up front.
England Predicted XI: Pickford; Walker, Guehi, Harwood-Bellis, Hall; Gomes, Gallagher; Bowen, Gibbs-White, Gordon; Kane
Ireland Predicted XI: Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, Scales, O’Dowda; McAteer, Cullen, Molumby, Johnston; Parrott, Ferguson
England vs Ireland prediction
Lee Carsley should get the sign-off his desires with a home win for England, as the loss of talent through injuries is offset by the incentive of impressing for players who might not have got the chance otherwise.
England were clinical in their 3-0 win over Greece – riding out some difficult moments and taking their chances well – and we expect them to have too much for the Irish.
Ireland will feel they have a great opportunity to upset their nearby rivals on the road, but despite Troy Parrott’s recent run of goals and Evan Ferguson’s endeavour up front they may fall just short.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
England beat Ireland in Dublin 2-0 in September, with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish both scoring against the country they could have represented. Overall the Three Lions have a strong recent record against the Irish, having not lost to them since 1988.
England vs Ireland match odds
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).