England vs Czech Republic – News and Probable Lineups

Fresh off a historic victory over Croatia, England wraps up a varied international break in September/October at home against the Czech Republic for Tuesday’s UEFA Nations League clash.

The Three Lions currently sit in second place in League A Group 3, following a stunning 7-0 rout against Croatia, while their opponents are still searching for their first point in the competition.

Match overview

Never has Croatia faced such a heavy defeat as 7-0 since gaining independence, yet Thomas Tuchel’s relentless England team devastated the 2018 World Cup runners-up on Saturday night, showcasing an impressive display in both attack and defence.

In reality, Jordan Pickford and his defensive line had little to worry about, as the Three Lions’ inspired midfield and attacking force dismantled Croatia’s experienced players with goals from Harry Kane (2), Bukayo Saka (2), Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, and Anthony Gordon.

Aside from inflicting on Croatia their worst-ever senior men’s defeat – and becoming the inaugural team to score over 5 goals in an away match against the Chequered Ones – England achieved their highest margin of victory over a top-50 nation on record since 1992.

However, Spain’s flawless performance against the Czech Republic means that Tuchel’s side is in second place in League A Group 3, a standing which would still allow them to progress to the quarter-finals.

Having scored nine goals and conceded none in their last 180 minutes of play, England is on the brink of securing three consecutive wins with clean sheets for the first time this calendar year, a feat they have not accomplished since their World Cup Qualifying campaign in late 2025.

While England must look back a year for their last three-game streak with successive victories and clean sheets, the Czech Republic has not managed to compile such a run since November 2021, with no victories in sight since the start of the World Cup.

After their exit from North America with only one point to show for their efforts, the visitors are yet to register a point in the 2026-27 Nations League, having come up short against England, Croatia, and most recently Spain.

Santi Denia’s squad gave the world champions a slight scare when Jiri Slama responded to Lamine Yamal and Rodri’s earlier efforts, but Mikel Merino’s goal and Ladislav Krejci’s red card extinguished any slim hopes of a comeback.

Now lying in fourth place, the Czechs are on a dismal streak of six matches without a win – four of which have ended in defeat – jeopardizing their chances of suffering five consecutive losses for the first time in their history.

The current run of defeats for the visitors includes last week’s 2-0 loss to England, who have unsurprisingly never suffered a defeat at home to the last-placed team, achieving two wins and a draw since 1998.

Team News

England’s flawless evening in Rijeka was further enhanced by Tuchel reporting no new injury or suspension issues, following Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly withdrawing from the squad ahead of the match.

O’Reilly is among four England players who are one yellow card away from a suspension in the Nations League, alongside Bellingham, Marc Guehi, and Myles Lewis-Skelly. However, it may be advantageous for the latter trio to receive a caution on Tuesday; this way, they would miss the matchday five clash with Croatia instead of the matchday six encounter with Spain.

While Tuchel is not expected to consider such hypotheticals in his selection, Lewis-Skelly, in particular, stands out as a potential candidate to return to the starting XI, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

However, the key player in the lineup will undoubtedly be captain Kane, who will match Peter Shilton’s all-time record of 125 England caps if he plays even for a second against the Czech Republic.

As for the Czech Republic, Krejci’s red card against Spain and subsequent suspension require a defensive adjustment; Martin Vitik is likely to replace the Wolverhampton Wanderers man.

On a more positive note, playmaker Pavel Sulc has completed his suspension following his expulsion against England last week and is expected to take the place of Lukas Ambros in the number 10 role.

Ex-West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal missed the match against Spain due to a knee problem, and his involvement in Tuesday’s game remains uncertain.

England probable starting XI:

Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Branthwaite, Chalobah, Hall; Lewis-Skelly, Anderson; Saka, Rogers, Eze; Kane

Czech Republic probable starting XI:

Kinsky; Sacek, Chaloupek, Vitik, Slama; Kral, Sadilek; Joy, Sulc, Lingr; Hawthorn

England fans have ample reason to anticipate another lopsided goal-fest following the events of Saturday evening, especially with Czech captain Krejci watching from the sidelines helplessly.

While it’s tough to imagine another seven-goal spectacle – or better – for the Three Lions, a solid win and another clean sheet certainly seems likely.