Key events
One of Thomas Tuchel’s biggest challenges is to stop English football’s never-ending arm-wrestle with a self-loathing subconscious.
The scale of that challenge is shown by one slightly clunky statistic. If they are to win the World Cup, England will surely at some stage need to beat one of the other seven World Cup winners in a knockout game. The last time they did outside England was [checks notes, shrieks a bit] 1962.
Senegal team news
Aliou Cisse has named a strong side, which includes seven past and present Premier League players – and probably a couple of the future as well. The front three of Ismaila Sarr, Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye should kept England’s defence honest.
Senegal (possible 4-3-3) E Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, M Diouf; Diarra, I Gueye, L Camara; Sarr, Jackson, I Ndiaye.
Substitutes: Y Diouf, I Camara, Seck, Dia, Sabaly, C Ndiaye, Jakobs, Niasse, Gueye, Sima, Diaw, A Mendy, P Gueye,
England team news: Tuchel makes 10 changes
Thomas Tuchel has changed all bar one of the team that started against XI. The odd man in is the captain Harry Kane. It was probably part of the plan all along; either that or he’s channelling his inner John Sitton.
Chelsea centre-back Trevor Chalobah is the most notable inclusion; he makes his international debut alongside his club teammate Levi Colwill.
England (4-2-3-1) Henderson; Walker, Chalobah, Colwill, Lewis-Skelly; Gallagher, Rice; Saka, Eze, Gordon; Kane.
Substitutes: Pickford, James, Konsa, Gibbs-White, Henderson, Bellingham, Burn, Toney, Alexander-Arnold, Jones, Rogers, Madueke, Palmer, Trafford.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the City Ground the Guardian liveblog bunker for live coverage of England v Senegal at the City Ground. Thomas Tuchel isn’t in the business of selling tickets or building hype, but his unsparing appraisal of England’s performance against Andorra – Kevin the Teenager tribute included – has increased the interest in what could otherwise have been just another friendly.
This is only the second meeting between the sides, a slight surprise given their status in world football. The first was in the last 16 of Qatar 2022, when England surged to a 3-0 victory after an even first 35 minutes.
The next World Cup is the endgame for Tuchel and England, but tonight’s match has a standalone appeal that probably wasn’t there 72 hours ago.
Kick off 7.45pm.
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