Frank Christian
Lee Carsley’s tenure as England’s interim coach concludes with a Champions League match against Ireland, the nation he once played for.
The Three Lions previously secured a confident 2-0 victory in Dublin, leading to early speculation about Carsley being a potential long-term replacement for Gareth Southgate. However, the Football Association has chosen to go in a new direction, appointing Thomas Tuchel to lead England starting in March.
The upcoming match at Wembley will determine whether England’s next fixtures will count towards World Cup qualification or the Nations League playoffs. Given England’s recent 3-0 win against Greece, which positioned them at the top of Group B2 by goal difference, another triumph against the Republic of Ireland, who are no longer at risk of relegation, would secure their place.
Expected Lineups for England vs. Republic of Ireland
In a surprising move, Carsley benched captain Harry Kane during the game against Greece, which allowed Ollie Watkins to shine and score. Watkins seems to complement Jude Bellingham’s role better as an attacking midfielder, but Carsley has confirmed that Kane will feature in the starting lineup this time.
Curtis Jones impressed on his debut with a key goal and is likely to retain his place in midfield, possibly joining forces with Angel Gomes. Taylor Harwood-Bellis, another player from Carsley’s U21 squad, may start in defense if Manchester City players Kyle Walker and Rico Lewis are rested after a busy period.
Lewis Hall, having made a brief appearance in the last match, could also have a more significant role at right-back, a position where England has ample talent up front. It may finally be time for regular substitute Jarrod Bowen to start from the beginning.
Predicted England Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford (GK) — Konsa, Guehi, Harwood-Bellis, Hall — Gallagher, Jones — Bowen, Bellingham, Gordon — Watkins
Full Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Rico Lewis, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Jarell Quansah, Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher, Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes, Jude Bellingham, Curtis Jones
Forwards: Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Jarrod Bowen, Morgan Rogers
Festy Ebosele suffered an injury during a recent match against Finland and will be assessed, while Jason Knight, having received two bookings, will not participate. Jason Molumby is expected to take over in central midfield alongside Josh Cullen.
Troy Parrott is vying for a starting spot in attack following a strong start to the season in the Eredivisie with AZ.
Republic of Ireland Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): Kelleher (GK) — Doherty, Collins, Scales, O’Dowda — McAteer, Cullen, Molumby, Johnston — Parrott, Ferguson
Full Squad:
Goalkeepers: Caoimhin Kelleher, Mark Travers, Max O’Leary
Defenders: Matt Doherty, Dara O’Shea, Callum O’Dowda, Nathan Collins, Ryan Manning, Liam Scales, Jake O’Brien, Mark McGuinness
Midfielders: Josh Cullen, Jason Knight, Jayson Molumby, Finn Azaz, Andrew Moran
Forwards: Troy Parrott, Evan Ferguson, Mikey Johnston, Sammie Szmodics, Festy Ebosele, Kasey McAteer, Tom Cannon
How to Watch England vs. Republic of Ireland
Here are the viewing options for the UEFA Nations League match across various regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | Fubo, ViX |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | ITV1/STV (Scotland) | ITV Player |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | Sony Ten 2 | Sony LIV, JioTV |
