Frank Christian
Lee Carsley, the interim manager for England, is expected to implement several changes as the team prepares to challenge Finland in the UEFA Nations League.
England suffered a historic defeat to Greece on Thursday, losing 2-1 at Wembley, marking the first time they have lost to this team. Vangelis Pavlidis scored both goals for Greece.
This loss places Greece in a favorable position to secure promotion to League A, making England’s upcoming match in Helsinki vital for both the group standings and Carsley’s potential to be named the permanent replacement for Gareth Southgate.
The Sporting News evaluates the anticipated lineups for both teams ahead of the match on Sunday.
Expected Lineups for Finland vs. England
Finland’s head coach Markku Kanerva may also consider adjustments after his team lost their last match against the Republic of Ireland 2-1 after initially leading.
Oliver Antman might be brought in to enhance the attack, although Finland is expected to adopt a more defensive posture against England.
Matti Peltola provides a solid defensive option to strengthen the midfield, having participated in the previous encounter at Wembley. Additionally, Teemu Pukki could re-enter the starting lineup, but Joel Pohjanpalo‘s recent goal may work in his favor.
Finland’s Expected XI (4-3-3, right to left): Hradecky (GK) — Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Galvez — Schuller, Kamara, Peltola — Lod, Pukki, Antman
Complete Squad:
Goalkeepers: Lukas Hradecky, Jesse Joronen, Viljami Sinisalo
Defenders: Tomas Galvez, Leo Vaisanen, Robert Ivanov, Arttu Hoskonen, Adam Stahl, Juhani Pikkarainen, Miro Tenho, Nikolai Alho, Jere Uronen, Ilmari Niskanen
Midfielders: Matti Peltola, Glen Kamara, Robin Lod, Rasmus Schuller, Kaan Kairinen, Anssi Suhonen, Urho Nissila, Leo Walta
Forwards: Oliver Antman, Fredrik Jensen, Teemu Pukki, Benjamin Kallman, Joel Pohjanpalo, Topi Keskinen
Interim England manager Carsley acknowledged that his previous 4-2-2-2 formation against Greece was a risk that did not succeed, so he is likely to return to the more conventional 4-2-3-1 setup for this match.
Harry Kane is anticipated to rejoin the team after recovering from an injury that kept him out during the loss to Greece. However, Bukayo Saka will be unavailable due to injury, which could see Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Cole Palmer retain their starting positions. Meanwhile, Jack Grealish and Anthony Gordon may also look to make contributions.
There might be a chance for Angel Gomes to return to the midfield, paired with Declan Rice, and potential alterations in defense could occur following the underwhelming performance against Greece. Expected inclusions could be Marc Guehi and Kyle Walker, along with a possible debut for left-back Tino Livramento from Newcastle United.
England’s Expected XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Pickford (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Guehi, Livramento — Gomes, Rice — Palmer, Bellingham, Foden — Kane
Injuries: Bukayo Saka, Curtis Jones
Complete Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, Rico Lewis, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Levi Colwill
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher, Angel Gomes, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Jack Grealish
Forwards: Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke
Match Timing for Finland vs. England
This UEFA Nations League clash will take place at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday, October 13, with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. local time.
Below is how that time converts for various global regions:
| Date | Kickoff Time | |
| USA | Sun, Oct. 13 | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun, Oct. 13 | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| Australia | Mon, Oct. 14 | 3:00 a.m. AEDT |
| UK | Sun, Oct. 13 | 5:00 p.m. BST |
| India | Sun, Oct. 13 | 9:30 p.m. IST |
How to Watch Finland vs. England
Here’s where to catch the UEFA Nations League match in different regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | Fox Sports 1 | Fubo, Fox Sports App, Foxsports.com |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | ITV 1 UK, STV Scotland, UTV | ITVX, STV Player |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | Sony TEN 2 | Sony LIV, JioTV |
