Nigeria to start with strongest XI in World Cup warm-up against England including Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses

Alex Iwobi in a friendly against Argentina (Getty Images)

England will be confronted by the team Nigeria expect to start the World Cup when they host them at Wembley in Saturday’s friendly. In both countries’ penultimate fixture before they both travel to Russia, England also face a team playing to lift goalkeeper Carl Ikeme in his battle against leukaemia.

While Saturday represents a further chance for Gareth Southgate to experiment with his team ahead of one final friendly against Costa Rica before their World Cup opener against Tunisia on June 18, Nigeria will play their strongest XI.

Their manager Gernot Rohr also knows they have a friendly against the Czech Republic on Wednesday, but their captain John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho will be among those expected to start.

“We will try to play with our best team,” said the 64-year-old Rohr, from Germany. “We will try to see the team that has the chance of starting the World Cup against Croatia. This is a World Cup match for us. It’s very exciting to play in this wonderful stadium. I heard the coach of the England team say they want to win the World Cup in 2022, so we can say the same (of our youthful team).”

Of Wolves’ Ikeme, 31, who last played first-team football in March 2017 and may have proved the solution for a team often accused of lacking a convincing goalkeeper, Rohr added: “There is also the opportunity to have a think about our sick goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme.

“He’s in England, and struggling for his life, and we will play for him at this World Cup.”