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Wembley Stadium, London
Tuesday 6 October, 7:45pm BST
England close out a busy international window by welcoming Czechia back to Wembley, less than a fortnight after beating the same opponents 2-0 in Prague. Thomas Tuchel's side sit second in Nations League A Group 3, only three points off leaders Spain, while Czechia prop up the table without a single point from three matches.
Harry Kane heads into the match one cap short of Peter Shilton's all-time England men's record of 125, a milestone the captain can reach simply by taking the field, and Wembley will be looking for the occasion to double up as the night England bounce back from their matchday one defeat at home to Spain.
England vs Czechia form and preview
England arrive on the back of a statement result, a seven-goal demolition of Croatia in Rijeka that followed the narrower win in Prague and a wild 2-3 home defeat to world champions Spain on matchday one.
Kane's looming caps record has become the story of the window, with the Bayern Munich striker sitting on 124 appearances after featuring in all three of England's Nations League games so far this autumn.
This gathering has followed a long World Cup summer for Tuchel's group, who were eliminated by Argentina at the semi-final stage in July before closing out the tournament with a thumping 6-4 win over France.
Tuchel has had to manage one of the more disrupted squads of his tenure, with Tino Livramento, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice all ruled out before a ball was kicked, and Nico O'Reilly following them out of the squad a week later.
The injury list grew again on Monday when Ezri Konsa and Alex Scott both withdrew, denying Tuchel two players who had started the win in Croatia, though the manager's other attacking and defensive options give him no shortage of cover.
England have scored 18 goals and conceded nine across their last five matches in all competitions, an attacking return few sides in Europe can match right now, while their defence has appeared visibly stronger with back-to-back clean sheets.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane lead the squad for goal contributions with five each, while attacking compatriots Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka have four and two contributions respectively.
Czechia have lost four of their last five internationals, a run that has yielded just three goals, and Saturday's 3-1 defeat in Spain left Santi Denia still searching for his first point as head coach.
Denia took over in July as the Czech federation's first foreign appointment in its history, replacing Miroslav Koubek after a World Cup campaign that produced a single point and an early exit.
His first three matches in charge have brought defeats to Croatia, England and Spain, leaving Czechia bottom of Group 3 with a goal difference of minus five and sitting in the relegation places with two games still to play in November.
The bigger concern heading to Wembley is a defence that has shipped 11 goals in five matches, especially as they face the group's top scorers, while Czechia are also the lowest scorers of the four teams in Group 3.
Adam Karabec and Jiri Slama have shared the goalscoring load with one apiece in the campaign so far, while Adam Hlozek leads the side for assists with two, underlining how thin Czechia's attacking returns have been.
A fourth straight defeat would leave Denia with nothing to show from his opening block of fixtures, and little time before the Nations League resumes in November to turn the mood around.
England vs Czechia team news
England
Tuchel confirmed on Monday that Konsa and Scott had both been sent back to their clubs, leaving him with a squad of 23 for the visit of Czechia.
Scott's absence is the harder blow given how he played in Rijeka, earning praise from Tuchel after his first senior start, but Myles Lewis-Skelly and James Garner both offer a route back into the same midfield area.
At centre-back, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Guehi are the players best placed to deputise for Konsa, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah also in the squad as options.
Rico Lewis offers Tuchel further defensive cover after being added to the squad as a late replacement for Nico O'Reilly, with the Manchester City man able to play at right-back or through the middle.
Given the scale of the win in Croatia and the quick turnaround since, Tuchel may still look to freshen things up even among those who are fit, with Bellingham, Anderson and Gordon all candidates to be given a breather.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to come back into the side at right-back, with Jordan Pickford continuing in goal after starting at the weekend in Croatia.
England predicted lineup vs Czechia
Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Guehi, Chalobah, Hall; Garner, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Eze, Rogers; Kane
Arnold
Skelly
Czechia
Denia's problems are compounded by the loss of his captain, with Krejci given a second yellow and subsequent red card for holding an opponent in the closing stages against Spain.
His absence leaves a leadership gap as much as a tactical one, with Denia still to settle on his preferred back line in his first three matches in charge.
Pavel Sulc is available again after sitting out a one-match ban for his red card in Prague, giving Denia back an attacking option even if his side's recent form offers little encouragement.
Robin Hranac and Stepan Chaloupek look the likeliest pairing at centre-back, and they will hope to plug the holes in a defence that has already conceded 11 goals in five matches.
Czechia predicted lineup vs England
Kinsky; Coufal, Hranac, Chaloupek, Slama; Kral, Macek; Radosta, Sulc, Lingr; Hlozek
England vs Czechia head-to-head
England have won four of the six meetings between the two sides, scoring 13 goals and conceding just four across the full history of the fixture.
Czechia's only win came in October 2019, a 2-1 victory in Prague during Euro 2020 qualifying that remains their solitary success in this fixture.
England's heaviest win in the series arrived earlier that same qualifying campaign, a 5-0 rout at Wembley in March 2019 that remains the biggest margin either side has managed in this fixture.
England have won three of the last four meetings without conceding a goal, with last month's win in Prague extending that run into this season's double header.
The two sides have met only once in the last five years, last month's 2-0 win in Prague, where Anthony Gordon and Kane both scored in the second half after Pavel Sulc's early red card for the hosts.
Our England vs Czechia prediction and betting tips
Odds correct as of Monday, 5 October 2026, 12:30 BST.
- Harry Kane to reach 125 caps and mark the occasion with a goal, having scored in back-to-back Nations League starts.
- Bukayo Saka to add to his tally after a lively display in Rijeka at the weekend.
- A first-half goal to settle any nerves early and open up the game for England's front four.
Ellis has been working as a freelance sports writer since graduating from University in 2023. He is especially passionate about football, with a particular love for Manchester United.