Ukraine vs England LIVE: Latest updates from Euro 2024 qualifying

One of the pre-match talking points was the fate of Harry Maguire in the national side, with the former Manchester United captain finding minutes hard to come by in the league.

However, he starts today after injuries ruled out John Stones and Tyrone Mings. He’ll be itching to impress, with Levi Colwill, Fikayo Tomori and Lewis Dunk all vie for a starting place alongside John Stones at Euro 2024.

Ahead of the game, Southgate said that Maguire has “looked good”.

“Of course he’s a very experienced player and he’s looked very good in training”, he added.

“He knows he has to keep playing well for us and I think over the next few weeks given what’s happening with their (United) squad with injuries he may well have a lot more minutes for them as well”.

James Maddison will be one of the happiest players starting tonight, having been rewarded for a string of impressive starts for new club Tottenham Hotspur. The former Leicester man has two goals and two assists so far this term.

Ben Chilwell has benefitted from the injury to Luke Shaw despite Chelsea’s mixed form, while Marc Guehi will be delighted with an international start.

Arsenal teammates Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka will have been two of the first names on the team sheet, and forward Eddie Nketiah will be desperate to get his first England cap.

England XI: Pickford, Walker, Maguire, Guehi, Chillwell; Henderson, Rice, Maddison, Bellingham; Kane, Saka

Ahead of his first England game since his high-profile move to Bayern Munich in the summer, Kane has told of how it ‘hurt’ to watch other English teams winning trophies as Tottenham were struggling.

“As a competitor, when the boys are playing the Champions League and I am just sitting at home watching it, I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that hurt”, said the England captain.

Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in a deal that could be worth around £100m, added that “it does motivate me to go on and try to push myself towards some of those trophies the guys have got”.

“I felt like I had to be playing Champions League football and competing for titles each year. Bayern Munich definitely gives me that”.

England currently lead Group C ahead of today’s hosts, winning each of their games and scoring 15 goals in the process.

Ukraine have six points from their three games, having beaten North Macedonia and Malta. They will play Italy – who currently sit third on three points – on 12 September in Milan.

England’s next qualifier will be against the Italians too, on 17 October at Wembley.

Here’s Gareth Southgate speaking ahead of today’s match. Can the Three Lions go one step closer to Euro 2024 qualification?

England have dominated Group C during this qualifying campaign and will once again get the better of Ukraine despite missing a few key players. An impressive victory will all but confirm their place at next summer’s Euros.

England XI: Pickford, Walker, Guehi, Maguire, Chilwell; Rice, Henderson, Bellingham; Saka, Kane, Rashford

England have a few notable absentees during this international break, with John Stones and Luke Shaw two usual starters who miss out through injury.

New Chelsea captain Reece James is also injured, as is former teammate and Manchester United summer signing Mason Mount. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was listed as a midfielder in the squad list, pulled out earlier this week, as did Manchester City winger Jack Grealish.

Gareth Southgate will still be expecting a positive result in Poland despite some being missing, with Jude Bellingham and captain Harry Kane having adapted especially well to their moves to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.