England vs Belgium LIVE: Latest team news and line-ups as Kobbie Mainoo set to start Wembley friendly tonight


England face Belgium at Wembley tonight as Gareth Southgate’s side look to get back to winning ways following defeat to Brazil on Saturday. The Three Lions lost their unbeaten run as a result of Endrick’s late winner, while the injury crisis face Southgate’s team has worsened as England continue their Euro 2024 preparations.

Southgate is dealing with an “incredible number” of absent players, with captain Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka joined on the sidelines by Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker, who pulled out of the England squad following the 1-0 defeat to Brazil.

But it has led to opportunities for others to impress Southgate, with tonight’s match England’s final fixture before the squad for the Euros is announced in May. Kobbie Mainoo could make his full England debut after winning his first cap off the bench at the weekend, while Ivan Toney is also set to be involved tonight.

Follow live updates from England vs Belgium in tonight’s live blog, while you can get the latest odds and tips on the match, here

England vs Belgium: Latest updates from Wembley

England face Belgium in Wembley friendly, with kick-off at 8pm tonight

Gareth Southgate’s side in action for final time before Euro squad announced

England without several first-choice names as injury crisis continues

Kobbie Mainoo set to make full England debut after winning first cap

England beaten by Brazil on Saturday while Belgium drew with Ireland

Declan Rice captains England for the first time

15:20 , Will Castle

It’ll be a momentous occasion for Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice as he wears the armband for the first time in tonight’s encounter with Belgium.

Rice already boasts captaincy experienced at club level, having been West Ham’s skipper as they won the Europa Conference League last season – his final game before a club-record £105million move to the Gunners followed.

He has established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League this season as Mikel Arteta’s side push for the Premier League title and prepare for a Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

Following in the footsteps of England’s World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore – a fellow former Hammer – Rice will have plenty of players running through his thoughts when he leads England out.

Declan Rice: As England captain I’ll be thinking of players I’ve learned from

As well as reaching a half-century of caps, Rice will also wear the armband at Wembley

Jordan Henderson a doubt, while Jude Bellingham is ‘ready for games’

15:00 , Will Castle

Some slightly better injury news to bring you.

Jordan Henderson and Cole Palmer were both absent for the weekend’s outing against Brazil – and while the new Ajax skipper is unlikely to make his return against Belgium, Gareth Southgate is hopeful Palmer can feature this evening.

The England manager is also certain that Jude Bellingham is ready to play a full match, having spent close to two months rehabbing a sprained ankle.

Speaking in his press conference on Monday, Southgate said: “Hendo probably not, Cole is back in training so that is possible.

“With Jude, absolutely (he can play the full 90 minutes). Jude had cramps the other day. He’s missed quite a bit of football recently so actually, he is ready for games.”

(The FA via Getty Images)

Gareth Southgate sees silver lining to England injury woes

14:40 , Will Castle

Gareth Southgate on England injuries:

“It’s an incredible number unavailable to us. I haven’t experienced that before.

“But it means there’s opportunities for other people. We saw against Brazil players step up and take those opportunities which is great for us as well.

“I have to say, with everything that’s happened, the original idea or plan for the week is a little bit different.

“We’re probably finding out about more players, but that’s really helpful. To see all those players against high level opposition will help us make better decisions moving forward.”

Four players return to clubs as injury crisis worsens

14:20 , Will Castle

As preparations ramp up for Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate can now count as many as 15 regular players unavailable to him through injury.

A crisis that has exacerbated in the aftermath of England’s 1-0 defeat to Brazil on Saturday, Southgate has since seen Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Sam Johnstone and Harry Maguire all return to their clubs with fitness woes.

The quartet joins Bukayo Saka on the list of recent England casualties, with the Arsenal winger having pulled out of the squad prior to the weekend.

Adding to a lengthy absentee list that includes the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nick Pope, Luke Shaw, Mark Ghehi and Callum Wilson, Southgate has bemoaned the misfortune of his side in what is the worst injury crisis he has ever experienced.

(The FA via Getty Images)

England vs Belgium predictions: Football betting tips, odds and free bets

14:05 , Jamie Braidwood

Odds

England win: 7/9

Draw: 11/4

Belgium win: 7/2

Prediction

Considering injuries to both sides, a narrow home win looks the likeliest result. England 2-1 Belgium

England vs Belgium predictions: Football betting tips, odds and free bets

England vs Belgium: Predicted line-ups

14:04 , Jamie Braidwood

England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Branthwaite, Gomez; Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham; Foden, Toney, Rashford.

Belgium XI: Sels; Castagne, De Winter, Faes, Deman; Vranckx, Onana, Tielemans; Bakayoko, Lukaku, Trossard.

What is the Belgium team news?

14:03 , Jamie Braidwood

For Belgium, the most notable absentees are Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, with the former withdrawn and the latter still out with a knee injury. Jeremy Doku, Romelu Lukaku and Amadou Onana will be hoping to start after initially being rested against the Republic of Ireland.

What is the England team news?

14:02 , Jamie Braidwood

England are still working through an injury crisis. Already without Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker have since pulled out of the squad following the defeat to Brazil. Cole Palmer has recovered from a knock that saw him miss the Brazil defeat, but Jordan Henderson has been ruled out.

Kobbie Mainoo is therefore set to make his full England debut, after winning his first cap on Saturday after coming off the bench against Brazil. The 18-year-old Manchester United midfielder caught the eye with his late cameo, and will be given the chance to continue his breakthrough season.

Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Ivan Toney will play a part, while Declan Rice has been named captain and will start as he wins his 50th cap. Jude Bellingham has been passed fit after coming off in the second half against Brazil due to cramp.

Mainoo is set to make his full debut (The FA via Getty Images)

When is England v Belgium?

14:01 , Jamie Braidwood

England v Belgium is due to kick off at 7.45pm tonight, Tuesday 26 March at Wembley Stadium.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Channel 4, with coverage from the broadcaster from 7pm GMT. A livestream will be available via the Channel 4 app or website.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Good afternoon

14:00 , Jamie Braidwood

Following a late defeat against Brazil at the weekend, England continue their Euro 2024 preparations as Belgium visit Wembley.

Having fallen to a first defeat since the Qatar World Cup against the Selecao, England welcome Belgium as one of their final three fixtures before the start of the summer tournament. They will face both Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina before their opener against Serbia on 16 June.

This game presents Gareth Southgate with another chance to evaluate some of the members of his potential summer squad, with a few notable absences and players such as Kobbie Mainoo, Conor Gallagher and Jarrod Bowen playing for a spot in the side.

For Belgium, it gives manager Domenico Tedesco the opportunity to build a new-look team before they open their Euro 2024 campaign against Slovakia on 17 June.

Follow live updates as we build-up to kick-off:



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