England vs Japan – News and Probable Lineups

Following one of their more lackluster performances under Thomas Tuchel, England returns to Wembley for an international friendly against Japan on Tuesday.

The Three Lions did not impress in their 1-1 draw with Uruguay last Friday, just a day before Japan secured a victory over Scotland.

Match overview

In what can be termed an experimental lineup, Tuchel saw England’s six-game winning streak come to an end against Uruguayan giants, on the same night they failed to match an all-time record.

Making his return after nearly four years away, Ben White was the focus of attention that night, facing boos both before and after he scored the opening goal, as well as conceding a late penalty for Federico Valverde to score, thus ending England’s 629-minute streak without conceding.

With Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Elliot Anderson, and others watching from the stands, England fans didn’t feel they got their money’s worth, but Tuchel maintained a positive demeanor post-match.

Preparation for World Cup 2026 is always valuable for the former Chelsea head coach, even though the 1-1 draw with Uruguay meant England failed to win their opening match of a calendar year for just the third time in 14 years.

Nonetheless, England remains unbeaten at Wembley under Tuchel and has scored in 21 consecutive competitive and friendly matches since their 0-0 draw with Slovakia at Euro 2024.

Japan will look back to September for their last goal drought, a 2-0 defeat to the USA, but the Samurai Blue have performed well in subsequent friendlies.

Following a 2-2 draw with Paraguay in October, Japan has embarked on a four-match winning streak, starting with an impressive 3-2 victory over Brazil, and followed by wins against Ghana and Bolivia to end a successful 2025.

Hajime Moriyasu’s squad kicked off their spring trip to the UK on a high, securing a 1-0 win over Scotland on Saturday, with Junya Ito netting the winner in the 84th minute.

As they prepare for their penultimate friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup—where they will face the Netherlands, Tunisia, and either Sweden or Poland in Group F—Japan aims for a feat they have yet to achieve in senior men’s football: a victory against England.

The Three Lions have won two and drawn one of the three previous encounters at this level, with the most recent being a 2-1 win in a friendly in 2010, achieved via two own goals.

Team News

At least eight players have withdrawn from the England squad ahead of Tuesday’s match, including Adam Wharton and Noni Madueke, who were injured in the draw against Uruguay, as well as John Stones, who picked up a knock before the match.

Rice and Saka have returned to Arsenal for ‘medical assessment’, and Fikayo Tomori, Aaron Ramsdale, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are also back with their clubs, but the remaining members of Tuchel’s 27-man squad are all eager to play.

Dean Henderson, Nico O’Reilly, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, and Kane were also in the stands last Friday, but all nine could feature on Tuesday, where significant changes are anticipated from the England head coach.

This also applies to the visiting Japan side, whose head coach Moriyasu only brought on Kaoru Mitoma and Daichi Kamada as substitutes against Scotland, but both are expected to return to the starting XI at Wembley.

The Samurai Blue showed no signs of any fresh injury concerns at Hampden Park and will likely line up in a familiar 3-4-2-1 formation on Tuesday, with Ayase Ueda from Feyenoord leading the attack.

However, former Arsenal player Takehiro Tomiyasu will not reconnect with fellow full-back White, as he had to withdraw from the squad due to injury.

England probable starting XI:

Pickford; White, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Mainoo; Palmer, Rogers, Gordon; Kane

Japan probable starting XI:

Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, Ito; Sugawara, Kaishu Sano, Kamada, Mitoma; Doan, Maeda; Ueda

England’s lackluster showing against Uruguay should not be seen as a bad omen for the World Cup, and Tuchel’s rested key players are expected to demonstrate their international prowess on Tuesday.

The in-form Japan team, which caused an upset against Brazil a few months back, is likely to put up a strong challenge, but we believe England will return to winning ways.