GARETH SOUTHGATE is expected to heavily rotate for England's Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta TONIGHT as the Three Lions have already qualified.
Goals from Harry Kane either side of Marcus Rashford's beautiful strike against Italy was enough to book England a spot at the tournament in Germany next year.
It was also a huge milestone for the Three Lions captain as Kane's brace saw him break the late great Sir Bobby Charlton's goal-scoring record.
Jude Bellingham continued to build on his sensational season as he was a thorn in the Italian side – most notably when the 20-year-old icon put on a saucy solo display before teeing up Rashford to score England's second.
However, Southgate has suffered a huge loss as the midfield maestro has been ruled out for two weeks with a shoulder injury.
But it has presented the opportunity for other players to receive their first-ever senior call-up.
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When is England vs Malta?
- England's Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta will take place on TONIGHT – Friday, November 17.
- It is scheduled to get underway at 7:45pm GMT.
- Wembley Stadium in London is the allocated arena for this huge match and it can host approximately 90,000 roaring fans.
- The Three Lions ran riot with a 4-0 victory when they faced Malta in the reverse fixture earlier this year.
What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- England vs Malta will be broadcast LIVE on Channel 4 in the UK.
- Coverage is set to commence from 7pm GMT – a whole hour before kick-off.
- Fans can also stream the action through All 4 which is available on any tablet or mobile device.
- Alternatively, follow SunSport's live blog for minute-by-minute coverage of the entire match.
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Can I watch it for FREE?
Yes!
Fans can watch England's Euro 2024 qualifier for FREE as long as you have a valid TV license in the UK.
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What is the team news?
Gareth Southgate will be forced to navigate through England's remaining qualifiers without Jude Bellingham, James Maddison and Callum Wilson.
Levi Colwill is also absent from the squad due to a shoulder injury.
And it remains to be seen whether or not Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips will take part in Friday's game, with both players delaying their arrival at St George's Park due to personal reasons.
However, it presents Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis and Ezri Konsa with the chance to earn their first caps for the national team.
Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa).
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (Arsenal) Rico Lewis (Manchester City).
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich),, Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Cole Palmer (Chelsea).
Ones to watch
England captain and all-time top goalscorer Harry Kane is expected to star for the Three Lions once again on Friday.
The striker is enjoying a successful season so far in Germany with new club Bayern Munich.
He has scored an astonishing 21 goals and provided seven assists in just 16 appearances across all competitions so far this season, making him one of the most in-form players in Europe right now.
Cole Palmer will be another one to watch as England take on Malta at Wembley.
The 21-year-old has established himself as a key first team player for Chelsea since making the £42.5million move from Man City on transfer deadline day.
He is yet to make a senior appearance for the Three Lions, but he could be handed his first cap this week.
What is their form like?
The Three Lions are in fine form and have not lost a game since their World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in December.
Meanwhile, Malta have lost all seven of their Euro 2024 qualifiers so far.
The last time these two sides met, England came out on top in a comfortable 4-0 win.
What has been said?
Speaking about his squad selection last week, Southgate said: "You'd be amazed at how complicated it is picking a squad because of course all clubs are sensitive to information and you're trying to piece everything together.
"So I couldn't be certain that everybody that is in that squad will be there on Sunday night."
Discussing the controversial omission of Raheem Sterling, he said: "He wasn't available in March or June and the team had started on a good run. We won in Italy for the first time in 60 years and the two performances in June were excellent.
"So we've stuck with that group. We've stuck with that group pretty much through this qualifying campaign. We've deliberately not made many changes because we felt that's fair to the guys that have been in the squad.
"Performances have been excellent and there is huge competition for places.
"There's no question Raheem is looking dangerous for his club. He looks invigorated since the start of this season, and as I said, there are a few players that aren't in this squad for whom either they're injured or the door is absolutely open. We'll always be open to that.
"There are players in this squad that missed quite big chunks of time with us – such as Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier – so we've often had that type of situation. And, as I say, we're really pleased with the team so there is that continuity, really."
SunSport's score prediction
This is expected to be another straightforward game for England, with the Three Lions expected to cruise to another win.
England 3-0 Malta
What are the latest odds?
- England to win 1/100
- Draw 18/1
- Malta to win 80/1
*Odds courtesy of William Hill are correct at time of publication
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