Prague offers England little time to dwell on the Wembley setback. Thomas Tuchel’s side let a 2-1 lead slip against world champions Spain on Saturday, losing 3-2 in their opening Nations League Group A3 match, and now arrive in the Czech capital needing a response before an equally demanding trip to Croatia.
The visit to the Czech Republic comes against a team beginning its own new chapter under Santi Denia. His first match in charge ended in defeat to Croatia, but the coach has framed the meeting with England as a chance for his players to develop against elite opposition. “It is an opportunity to grow,” Denia said, describing England as one of the strongest national teams in the world.
Tuchel has two fitness concerns ahead of the match. Ezri Konsa and Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly trained separately on the eve of the game after missing the full session. Both completed the 90 minutes against Spain, though O’Reilly’s mistake allowed Álex Baena to score Spain’s equaliser at 2-2.
If O’Reilly is unavailable, Lewis Hall is in line to take his place. Konsa, meanwhile, has become one of Tuchel’s most trusted defenders, having appeared in seven of England’s eight World Cup matches. Jarrad Branthwaite is among the leading candidates to step in should Konsa not be fit; he came on in the 89th minute against Spain, replacing Marc Guéhi.
The England manager has also spoken out against the prospect of clubs and players choosing which international fixtures to play, calling such an idea “madness”. His immediate concern, however, is restoring momentum on the road. England face Croatia on Saturday before closing this international window at home to the Czechs on Tuesday, 6 October.
