What time does it start, what TV channel is it on and why is it behind closed doors?

What is it?

England take on Croatia in Rijeka in the Uefa Nations League just 93 days after they suffered World Cup semi-final heartbreak against the same opponents.

The League A Group 4 match will be played behind closed doors as the hosts complete a Uefa ground ban for having a swastika on the pitch during a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy. Five-hundred hardy England supporters have reportedly still made the trip to Croatia.

When is it?

Tonight! Friday, October 12.

What time is kick-off?

The match starts at 7.45pm BST.

What TV channel is it on?

Sky Sports Main Event from 7pm or Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm. Or you can watch highlights on ITV 1 at 10.45pm.

What is the team news?

CROATIA

It is a measure of manager Zlatko Dalic’s confidence in his team that before England had even arrived in Rijeka on Thursday the Croatia manager publically named his starting XI.

There will be no Milan Mandzukic in the side, and both the Croatian full-backs who played against England in the semi-final, Sime Vrsaljko and Ivan Strinic, are out. But Dalic expects his star midfielders, Luka Modric and Ivan Raikitic, along with Chelsea loanee Mateo Kovacic, to be closer to their best than they were last month against Spain when a jaded Croatia were still suffering from their long summer and got thumped 6-0.

Croatia (4-3-3): Livakovic, Jedvaj, Vida, Lovren, Pivaric, Kovacic, Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Rebic, Kramaric.

 

ENGLAND

Gareth Southgate, the England manager, is considering a change of formation. It would be a move away from the 3-5-2 he used at the World Cup to such effect. He knew it was always something of an emergency measure. If England are to beat leading nations such as Croatia they need to eventually alter their ­approach, which is why he is ­mulling over a 4-3-3.

If that happens, it may be Kieran Trippier who drops out at right-back, because it seems that Kyle Walker will play – either at right-back or as the right-sided central defender – ahead of Joe Gomez, with Ben Chilwell earning a first competitive start. The 21-year-old is the only specialist left-back in the squad, with both Luke Shaw and Danny Rose having withdrawn and, while Trippier could be moved across, it seems the specialist, Chilwell, will be selected.

In midfield, it appears that Ross Barkley’s confident resurgence at Chelsea under manager Maurizio Sarri will be rewarded with a first appearance for England since May 2016 when he came on in a friendly against Australia for the last of his 22 caps.

England probable (4-3-3): Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell, Henderson, Dier, Barkley, Sterling, Kane, Rashford.

What are the current standings?