Lee Carsley will officially begin his role as England manager at Wembley on Tuesday evening. The Three Lions will take on Finland in their second UEFA Nations League match of the month. Having started the post-Gareth Southgate era with a 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, England will aim to build on that success.
Meanwhile, Finland faced a heavy 3-0 defeat to Greece, leaving them at the bottom of the group. On Saturday, Carsley, a former Ireland international, saw his side secure a win against his former country. Declan Rice, who had previously played for Ireland before switching allegiance, scored the opening goal and apologized, while Jack Grealish enthusiastically celebrated his second goal.
England vs. Finland: Team Form and Head-to-Head
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England settled for a 2-0 win, not pushing for more goals in the second half—a contrast to Southgate’s approach. Carsley’s positive performance has earned him favor with the FA as they search for a permanent successor to Southgate. Currently, England sits in second place in League B Group 2, just behind Greece on goal difference. This position would earn England a place in the promotion playoffs, but to return to League A, they need to end a winless streak at Wembley. England has not won a Nations League home game since November 2020 and has struggled to score in their recent matches.
Finland, led by Markku Kanerva, had a disappointing start to their Nations League campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Greece, marked by errors including an own goal from Benjamin Kallman and a mistake by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. Finland is struggling in League B after previously being promoted from League C. Moreover, they have not beaten England in their 11 previous encounters and have a history of conceding multiple goals in away games. Despite these challenges, they are battling to maintain their status in League B.
Team News
England is expected to field an unchanged lineup from the win over Ireland, with Harry Kane, who made his 99th appearance for England, aiming to reach his 100th cap soon. Alongside Kane, Grealish, Anthony Gordon, and Bukayo Saka are likely to start. On the bench, Eberechi Eze, Conor Gallagher, and John Stones are potential substitutes, while Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke are in contention for their debuts.
Finland, meanwhile, faces issues with injuries. Kaan Kairinen was injured before the match against Greece, and Rasmus Schuller was forced off during the game. Schuller’s injury might affect his availability for Tuesday’s match, and Kairinen is already ruled out. Urho Nissila, who replaced Schuller on the weekend, is expected to start, with Joel Pohjanpalo and Teemu Pukki available as alternative strikers.
England vs. Finland: Possible Starting XI
England: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Guehi, Maguire, Colwill; Mainoo, Rice, Grealish; Saka, Kane, Gordon
Finland: Hradecky; Stahl, Hoskonen, Ivanov, Uronen; Peltola, Nissila; Lod, Kamara, Antman; Pohjanpalo
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