England will begin their World Cup preparations with two friendlies, with Uruguay up first at Wembley on Friday.
Manager Thomas Tuchel has named a big 35-member squad for the upcoming matches. After Uruguay, England will gear up to face Japan on March 31.
The squad has been divided into two groups with some of the players arriving joining the camp after the Uruguay clash. A few notable names like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ollie Watkins miss out but the squad boasts plenty of new talent as well as senior players.
Here's all you need to know about the match.
How to watch:
The match will be shown on the ITV1 in the UK and SonyLiv in India. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Friday, March 27 at 7:45 p.m. GMT (2:45 p.m. ET; 1:15 a.m. IST, Friday and 6:45 a.m. AEDT, Friday).
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Germany)
VAR: Sören Storks (Germany)
Team News:
There has been two changes to the original squad with Ben White returning to the national team setup for the first time since 2022, replacing injured Jarrell Quansah.
Newcastle's Harvey Barnes has also been called in place of Eberechi Eze, who withdrew with injury.
- Tuchel's 35-player England squad explained: Who can play against Uruguay, Japan?
Talking Points
Chance for recalled and new call-ups to impress Tuchel
A 35-man squad was a surprise, but it explained that 11 key members of the team will join the squad after the match against Uruguay.
Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Elliot Anderson, Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn and Dean Henderson have played plenty of minutes already this season so Tuchel has given them a few days off before they return for the match against Japan.
The absence of the above players can be an opportunity for those who are looking to make it to the final World Cup squad. Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, Everton's James Garner, Newcastle United's Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes, Leeds United's Dominic Calvert-Lewin will look to make their claim for the World Cup. All the players have had a good season with their respective clubs.
Although one or two games are likely not enough to take a few senior players' position in the team, these players will want to ensure they are in the picture when Tuchel announces the final squad for the World Cup.
Is this the moment for Harry Maguire to shine?
Maguire is back in the England fold after 18 months away. His performances under Michael Carrick have earned him a deserved call-up and he will want to carry the same form into matches with the national team.
"Harry simply deserves it. He has, especially since Michael Carrick took over, had very, very good performances and fantastic results and is a key figure in the Man United squad who is now in third place and on a very good run of form. He's a big reason for that, so he deserves to be with us," Tuchel said.
This will be the first time Tuchel will work with Maguire and considering a few regular centre-backs will miss the Uruguay game, Maguire looks very likely to start on Friday.
The 33-year-old defender will bring his experience and leadership qualities to the fore and these could be vital for Tuchel at the World Cup. While the likes of Burn, Guéhi and Konsa are ahead of him at the moment, Maguire has form and his club's good run in his favour. He will want to make it count against Uruguay and book his spot for the World Cup.
Bellingham returns from injury
Jude Bellingham is back. The 22-year-old Real Madrid midfielder made his comeback last weekend against derby rivals Atlético after missing in action for multiple weeks due to a muscle injury. The return to fitness comes at an important stage as he's keen to play a major role in his club's and national team's fortunes for the next few months. He admitted that the injury was a challenging period and he was "sad" for a very long time.
Bellingham will also want to show Tuchel that he's the best No. 10 for England, who have some ridiculously talented players fighting for the same spot. Apart from Bellingham, the likes of Rogers, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer all want to make the advance midfielder role their own for the World Cup. Especially with the emergence of Rogers, the fight has become much tougher for Bellingham.
Valverde, Uruguay's man to watch out for
On the other side of the pitch will be Bellingham's Real Madrid teammate Federico Valverde, who has been in excellent form for his club. Valverde's form has ensured that his team doesn't miss Bellingham as they secured big wins over Manchester City and Atletico.
It will be interesting to see if Marcelo Bielsa starts Valverde considering he has played a lot of minutes for his club. Uruguay will also play Algeria in this window so Bielsa might want to manage the minutes of his star midfielder. But there's no doubt that Valverde is the player to watch out for. His energy can push the team forward while he can also play a big role off the ball with his relentless pressing. In fact, in an England team full of talent, Valverde would make a serious case of being the best player on the pitch.
Stats
England have won their last six international matches.
The last time these two sides met was at the 2014 World Cup where Uruguay won 2-1 thanks to a brace from Luis Suárez.