In a clash with political overtones, two neighbours, England and Scotland will be pitted against each other at the Wembley stadium on Friday, November 11. England manager, Gareth Southgate, who replaced the controversial Sam Allardyce just a month ago steered England through a difficult 0-0 draw against Slovenia at Llubjyana in October. For Friday’s clash he has brought into his squad Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne all of whom missed England’s qualifiers with Malta and Slovenia due to injury.Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere is another inclusion into the squad and could make the final XI too along with the likes of Sterling and Lallana. Strikers Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge, despite their patchy form of late are in too, but a place in the starting XI looks doubtful. Harry Kane expected to be back from injury could make that cut along with Marcus Rashford. Michael Keane, the Burnley defender, still to feature in an international, also is in the squad. Ace Arsenal winger, Theo Walcott, along with Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur) and John Stones (Manchester City) at the back look strong candidates for the final XI.The brilliant Del Alli is ruled out with a knee injury for the coming qualifying clash and will out for at least a couple of weeks. For the goalkeepers spot there could be a tussle between Joe Hart and Fraser Forster (Southampton) and it could be a last minute call for Southgate to choose between the two.
Scotland who last qualified for a place in the World Cup in 1998 will be fighting to stay in the game this time around and would definitely need to better the 4th position they find themselves in after 3 games in the Group F cluster. With just 4 points,they are one away from 2nd and 3rd placed Lithuania and Slovenia and 3 points away from toppers England (7 points). Scotland have won just one of their three games, a 5-1 win over minions Malta. Their last outing in the qualifiers was a 0-3 loss to Slovakia in October. Scotland manager Gordon Strachan will probably go for a final XI that could look like this: David Marshall (goal); Callum Paterson, Lee Wallace, Russell Martin, Christophe Berra; Scott Brown, Oliver Burke, James McArthur, Matt Ritchie, Robert Snodgrass; Chris Martin.
There’s not much recent history between these two nations as far as World Cup qualifiers go, but they have met in two friendlies in 2013 and 2014, both of which England have won 1-3 and 3-2. The host are expected to continue their unbeaten run in the qualifiers at Wembley come Friday evening as the odds below would suggest.
Recommended Tip: Under 2.5 Goals, Best odds 4/5