England face France in a massive World Cup quarter-final tonight in Qatar. The Three Lions will face their toughest test of the tournament against holders France after topping Group B and beating Senegal in the round of 16 to reach this stage.
Gareth Southgate is expected to field an unchanged squad for England's first play-off against France in a major international tournament, with Bukayo Sakho and Phil Foden retaining their places in a 4-3-3 formation.
The England manager has urged his team to show courage and attack against France, which has Kylian Mbappe as the top scorer in the World Cup and the most dangerous striker in football.
England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but Southgate believes his side are now better equipped for success than they were four years ago. With millions of viewers across the country watching, tonight could be the night that makes or breaks those expectations.
Follow live coverage of England v France and all the latest team news and updates on our live blog below.
Last update England vs France
-
England face France in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, which kicks off at 19:00 GMT in Qatar.
-
The match was shown live on ITV 1 as England hoped to make it back to the World Cup semi-finals against the holders.
-
Gareth Southgate is expected to name an unchanged Senegalese side victorious in England's 4-3-3 formation.
World Cup 2022: England v France
8:46am , Jamie Braidwood
What's new with the team?
Raheem Sterling is expected to miss France despite returning to England's World Cup squad in Qatar while Gareth Southgate is concerned about a lack of preparation time. Sterling returned to England this week after his home was robbed, but the striker returned to Qatar just in time for the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Declan Rice will face the defending champions after missing practice with illness earlier this week, while Callum Wilson has been ruled out with injury. Therefore, Southgate are expected to field an unchanged squad, with England sticking to a 4-3-3 formation.
French star Mbappe missed out on Tuesday with an ankle problem, but the striker returned to action a day later, fortunately for Les Bleus .
Expected composition
England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Henderson, Rice, Bellingham; Foden, Kane, Saka.
France XI: Lloris; Kunde, Varan, Upamecana, T. Hernandez; Chuameni, Rabiot, Griezmann; Dembele, Giroud, Mbappe.
World Cup 2022: England v France
08:44am , Jamie Braidwood
When is England vs France being played?
The match will kick off at 19:00 GMT (22:00 local time) on Saturday 10th December.
The match will be played at the Al Bait Stadium in Al Hora.
How can I watch it?
England v France will be broadcast live on ITV 1 in the UK and on the broadcaster's ITVX website and app.
World Cup 2022: England v France
8:40am , Jamie Braidwood
England face France in a massive World Cup quarter-final tonight in Qatar. The Three Lions will face their toughest test of the tournament against holders France after topping Group B and beating Senegal in the round of 16 to reach this stage.
Gareth Southgate is expected to field an unchanged squad for England's first play-off against France in a major international tournament, with Bukayo Sakho and Phil Foden retaining their places in a 4-3-3 formation.
The England manager has urged his team to show courage and attack against France, which has Kylian Mbappe as the top scorer in the World Cup and the most dangerous striker in football.
England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but Southgate believes his side are now better equipped for success than they were four years ago. With millions of viewers across the country watching, tonight could be the night that makes or breaks those expectations.
Follow live coverage of England v France and all the latest team news and updates on our live blog below.