England and Spain kick off their UEFA Nations League campaigns when they lock horns at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The two sides are in the top tier of the inaugural competition and are thus competing for silverware, but there is also a threat of relegation as well, with Croatia the other team competing in Group 4.
Gareth Southgate's side come into the game brimming with confidence following their World Cup campaign in Russia, where they reached the semi-finals and will be keen to kick on with a home victory.
Spain, meanwhile, are embarking on a whole new era, as new head coach Luis Enrique attempts to help his country bounce back from a disappointing World Cup performance.
| Game | England vs Spain |
| Date | Saturday, September 8 |
| Time | 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US) the game will available to watch on Univision Deportes and it can be streamed live online using ESPN+.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Univision Deportes | ESPN+ |
The game can be watched live on television in the United Kingdom (UK) via Sky Sports Football or Sky Sports Main Event and it can be streamed live online using Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Football / Sky Sports Main Event | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | England squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Pickford, McCarthy, Butland, Bettinelli |
| Defenders | Walker, Stones, Rose, Trippier, Maguire, Shaw, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Tarkowski |
| Midfielders | Henderson, Dier, Alli, Lingard, Delph, Loftus-Cheek |
| Forwards | Welbeck, Kane, Rashford |
England are without the services of Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana, who are injured, while Manchester United duo Chris Smalling and Phil Jones did not make the cut.
Members of the 2018 World Cup squad Gary Cahill and Jamie Vardy, meanwhile, have both retired from international competition.
England XI: Pickford, Trippier, Maguire, Stones, Gomez, Shaw, Henderson, Alli, Lingard, Rashford, Kane.
| Position | Spain squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | De Gea, Kepa, Lopez |
| Defenders | Carvajal, Alonso, Nacho, Martinez, Azpilicueta, Ramos, Gaya, Llorente, Raul Albiol |
| Midfielders | Busquets, Saul, Thiago, Suso, Rodri, Roberto, Asensio, Ceballos, Isco |
| Forwards | Morata, Rodrigo, Aspas |
Spain are without a number of stalwarts, with Gerard Pique, David Silva and Andres Iniesta all retiring following the World Cup. Diego Costa has withdrawn from the squad and there was some controversy over the omission of Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba . Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso takes his place in the panel after impressing in the Premier League, while Alvaro Morata returns.
Spain XI: De Gea, Alonso, Ramos, Nacho, Carvajal, Saul, Busquets, Thiago, Rodrigo, Isco, Aspas.
Betting & Match Odds
Visitors Spain are slight favourites to win according to bet365 , who price La Roja at 7/4 to triumph. England are 19/10 to win and a draw is available at 11/5.
Match Preview
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England need to be beating teams like Spain. That's the verdict of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate ahead of their Nations League opener against La Roja.
It's a view that has been drummed into the England squad by the manager, who is hoping to transform his country into the best team in the world, and he realises that such a lofty aspiration can only come to pass by overcoming the best.
"Our real ambition is to be the best team in the world," said Southgate ahead of the game. "And that’s going to need a lot of hard work, clear planning and thinking as a support team. But that’s the next challenge for us.
“The Nations League really gives us something different to focus on and, from our perspective, the progression we want to make over the next few years is to be able to beat the likes of Spain and Croatia."
England will have the bulk of the squad which finished fourth in Russia available for the game, but the visit of Spain, now under the guidance of under former Barcelona boss Enrique, will be a whole new challenge.
While the Three Lions swept to the last four, La Roja were eliminated at the last-16 stage of the World Cup by hosts Russia and a new regime is now in place as they seek to redress that disappointment.
As well as imposing strict new rules on the squad, Enrique has made the bold call to leave out some of the more established players as part of his overhaul and the remainder of the panel will feel they have something to prove in London.
