England v Ireland LIVE: Nations League team news and line-ups as England make three changes at Wembley
England can earn promotion in the Nations League with a victory at Wembley, in Lee Carsley’s final game
England face the Republic of Ireland at Wembley in the final round of matches in Nations League Group B2, with Lee Carsley’s men sitting at the top of the table.
The Three Lions need to match Greece’s result in order to finish the campaign top of the group and win promotion, and they face an Ireland side that they beat convincingly in Dublin in September.
Plenty has happened since that match, with the FA appointing Thomas Tuchel to take over as England manager in January and England having beaten both Finland and Greece ahead of the end of the year.
With Carsley’s time at the helm coming to an end soon, plenty of players will want to put themselves into Tuchel’s thoughts ahead of a new era for the Three Lions.
We’ll have all the latest build-up, updates and team news below:
Head-to-head
Tonight’s match will be the 19th meeting between the two sides, with the first dating back to September 1946.
Overall, England have won seven, Ireland have won two, and nine have ended as draws.
When the two sides met in Dublin in September, the Three Lions ran out comfortable 2-0 winners courtesy of goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish.
Tino Livramento comes into makeshift England defence
Tino Livramento becomes the seventh player given a debut by Lee Carsley in his brief reign. The interim manager has certainly shown a willingness to experiment, particularly with the graduates of his Under-21 team.
Marc Guehi is the only specialist centre-back in the England team, with Kyle Walker set to join him in the middle of the defence. The Ireland side, in contrast, looks packed with centre-backs.
Lee Carsley has promotion in sight before handing England reins to Thomas Tuchel
Lee Carsley hopes to have helped Thomas Tuchel by being different with his selection and approach during his interim England reign – something that has led to praise and some service station sermons.
Sunday’s Nations League clash with the Republic of Ireland marks the end of his six-game stint as Gareth Southgate’s interim successor, with Tuchel starting his quest to win the 2026 World Cup in the new year.
Carsley returns to his post as England Under-21s boss having leant on many young talents he knows well from last year’s European Championship triumph in Georgia.
Lee Carsley has promotion in sight before handing England reins to Thomas Tuchel
Carsley’s interim stint will end after England’s game with the Republic of Ireland.
‘I feel like I’m at the peak of my game’ says Harry Kane ahead of England clash
Harry Kane is not worried about his long-term England future, insisting he is in the best form of his career.
The England captain was left out of Thursday’s 3-0 Nations League win over Greece, which came just months after his form during Euro 2024 came under heavy scrutiny.
With new manager Thomas Tuchel starting in January, Kane could be vulnerable, but he insists his performances for Bayern Munich make him “one of the top goal-scorers in the world” and worthy of his selection.
‘I feel like I’m at the peak of my game’ says Harry Kane ahead of England clash
The England captain was left out of Thursday’s 3-0 Nations League win over Greece.
Why Lewis Hall can see stars aligning for him to meet England’s biggest need
In their last 13 matches, England have only once started with a specialist left-back. Now a specialist left-back has emerged who debuted under Thomas Tuchel and who, even before the German takes charge, can benefit from the coaching of England’s most-capped full-back. If the autumn of 2023 was decidedly difficult for Lewis Hall, a year on, the stars could seem to be aligning for him.
Of the six uncapped players in Lee Carsley’s squad this month, Hall has the clearest path to a place in the team. Luke Shaw began the Euro 2024 final, but his outings have become rarities amid his injury problems. Kieran Trippier was the right-back pressed into service on the opposite flank in Germany but he has opted for international retirement.
In Carsley’s interim reign, Levi Colwill, Rico Lewis and Trent Alexander-Arnold have played out of position on the left; the Chelsea and Liverpool players have been ruled out this week’s double header against Greece and Republic of Ireland.
Team news
The Republic of Ireland have made three changes to the side that beat Finland 1-0 on Thursday.
In defence, Matt Doherty drops out in favour of Dara O’Shea, while in midfield, Jayson Molumby replaces Jason Knight.Mark McGuinness also makes his debut, replacing Michael Johnston.
Team news
England have made three changes from the side that beat Greece on Thursday night, with the main one being the return of Harry Kane – he replaces Ollie Watkins.
In defence, Ezri Konsa and Rico Lewis drop out in favour of Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall.
Line-ups
England XI: Pickford; Livramento, Walker, Guehi, Hall; Jones, Gallagher; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon, Kane.
Subs: Henderson, Lewis, Gibbs-White, Gomes, Quansah, Harwood-Bellis, Watkins, Rogers, Bowen, Solanke, Trafford.
Ireland XI: Kelleher; O’Shea, McGuinness, Collins, Scales, O’Dowda; Ebosele, Cullen, Molumby; Szmodics, Ferguson.
Subs: Travers, O’Leary, Doherty, Manning, O’Brien, Moran, Coventry, Azaz, McAteer, Johnston, Parrott, Cannon.
Harry Kane wants to get better with age but England have been shown a way to play without him
Once again, Harry Kane is the first name on the England football teamteamsheet. Lee Carsley was still in Athens when he confirmed the captain would start on Sunday. For eight years, Gareth Southgate rarely needed to offer that information three days early, to try and deflect charges Kane had fallen out of favour. If he was fit, he played.
Now? Kane was fit and began on the bench against Greece. Others were fit, the striker had implied, and did not turn up. Kane appeared to be the last man standing up for the values of the Southgate era, when players enjoyed turning up for international duty. Carsley refused to criticise the no-shows, was happy to finish with a glorified Under-21 side and beat Greece 3-0. Kane had a bit-part role.
He had been outspoken before the game, Carsley more cautious. The interim manager showed a bolder streak in his choices. Yet his post-match rhetoric invited a question: when is a dropping not a dropping?
Kane wants to get better with age but England have seen way to play without him
The Three Lions captain and record goalscorer is not accustomed to sitting on the bench – but his absence from the frontline against Greece helped England play with more pace
England’s Ollie Watkins gamble pays off to leave tricky Harry Kane question
In the tale of the captain and the caretaker, Lee Carsley’s great gamble paid off. England managers can be defined by a decision involving a talismanic striker. Graham Taylor ended Gary Lineker’s international career to bring on Alan Smith. Alf Ramsey preferred Geoff Hurst to Jimmy Greaves for a World Cup final. One got it wrong, the other very right.
Carsley’s reign will be briefer, the stakes lower. But if it risked being remembered for one selection, it was justified. Harry Kane, the skipper who criticised the teammates who did not seem to want to play for England, was himself denied a start.
Ollie Watkins began instead, scored with his first touch and set England on course to a redemptive win. Wretched at Wembley last month, when they lost to Greece, they exacted revenge in ultimately impressive fashion. The worst game of Carsley’s tenure came against Greece. So, now, did the best.
England’s Ollie Watkins gamble pays off to leave tricky Harry Kane question
Greece 0-3 England: Watkins repaid Lee Carsley’s faith with an early goal as the Three Lions put themselves on course for Nations League promotion
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