Croatia vs England – News and Probable Lineups

England will visit Stadion HNK Rijeka to contend with Croatia in their third match of the UEFA Nations League this Saturday evening.

These two teams meet just under four months after the Three Lions secured a 4-2 win against the Checkered Ones during the opening group-stage match at the 2026 World Cup.

Match overview

Three days after relinquishing a one-goal lead in a 3-2 defeat to world champions Spain, England grabbed their first three points of the new Nations League season by defeating 10-man Czech Republic 2-0 in Prague on Tuesday.

Goals from Anthony Gordon and captain Harry Kane either side of half time propelled the Three Lions to a comfortable victory, marking their fourth consecutive away win in the competition while also ending a six-match streak without a clean sheet.

Since his appointment in January 2025, Thomas Tuchel has guided England to 18 wins in 24 games (D2 L4), and the German coach expressed satisfaction with his team’s “very professional” performance, especially after navigating an “awkward” encounter.

England will next host Czech Republic in their fourth League A Group 3 fixture of the international break, but before that, they must focus on this weekend’s meeting with the familiar opposition of Croatia, a team they have defeated three times in their last five encounters since 2018 (D1 L1).

With a FIFA ranking of fourth in the world, England aims to achieve a fourth straight victory over the Checkered Ones, a feat they have yet to accomplish, although they did play to a goalless draw in their most recent visit to Croatia during the 2018 Nations League.

Croatia kicked off their Nations League journey with a 2-1 away win against Czech Republic, but they were unable to halt Spain’s remarkable 39-match unbeaten streak, succumbing to a 4-1 loss against the world champions on Tuesday.

Dion Beljo leveled the score shortly before half time, canceling out Lamine Yamal’s early goal, but it took just three minutes for La Roja to retake the lead through Marc Pubill before two second-half goals sealed the Checkered Ones’ first defeat since the return of head coach Slaven Bilic.

The former West Ham player and manager was critical in his post-match assessment, stating that his players “lacked aggression” and that the defense in particular “performed poorly.”

Currently sitting in 12th place in the FIFA World Rankings, Croatia has allowed goals in 11 of their last 12 internationals across all competitions and have lost their last six encounters against teams in the top 10.

The Checkered Ones will return to Rijeka for the first time since losing 2-0 to Belgium in a pre-World Cup friendly last June, yet they maintain an unbeaten record in their last nine competitive matches at home (W8 D1), with their last defeat on home soil occurring against Turkey (1-0) in a Euros qualifier back in October 2023.

Team News

Nico O’Reilly of Manchester City has exited the England squad due to injury, leading to Newcastle’s Lewis Hall likely retaining the left-back position.

Ezri Konsa is expected to be fit enough to return to the starting lineup after remaining an unused substitute against Czech Republic. However, Trevoh Chalobah of Como will be vying for his spot in central defense alongside Marc Guehi.

Jordan Pickford has watched James Trafford take charge in goal for England’s first two Nations League fixtures, but Tuchel has confirmed that the 91-cap Everton goalkeeper will start in the next two matches.

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham could see a return to the midfield, with both Alex Scott and James Garner eager to make their first competitive starts, potentially at the expense of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

On the Croatian side, defenders Josip Juranovic and Martin Erlic withdrew from the squad last week due to injuries, with Erlic missing the loss to Spain because of a hamstring strain and subsequently pulling out of the squad.

Luka Vuskovic of Brighton & Hove Albion, aged 19, is a strong option to fill in for Marin Pongracic, partnering Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol in central defense.

It’s uncertain whether the 41-year-old legend Luka Modric will be recalled after scoring in his last appearance for Croatia against Czech Republic. Martin Baturina, who netted against England at the World Cup, is also pushing for inclusion in midfield or the attacking front.

Dion Beljo, the striker from Dinamo Zagreb, has scored five goals in his last four matches for club and country. After scoring his most recent goal against Spain, the 24-year-old will be aiming to continue leading the line ahead of Igor Matanovic and Petar Musa, who also found the net against England at the World Cup.

Croatia probable starting XI:

Livakovic; Smolcic, Vuskovic, Gvardiol, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic P. Sucic; Baturina, Beljo, Marco Pasalic

England probable starting XI:

Pickford; Trent, Chalobah, Guehi, Hall; Anderson, Garner; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

Given the six goals that were scored in their last encounter, and with six of England’s seven most recent matches featuring over 2.5 goals, an exciting, back-and-forth contest could be expected this weekend.

However, with Ballon d’Or contender Kane spearheading the attack for England alongside the in-form Gordon, and with Bellingham likely to be reinstated, we predict that the Three Lions will secure a narrow victory to maintain their status among the top two in League A Group 3.