Gareth Southgate wants England’s players to be mentally “spot on” and grab their opportunity to impress as he experiments against old sporting rivals Australia.
The Euro 2020 runners-up can seal their place at next summer’s edition in Germany when they host holders Italy at Wembley in Tuesday’s Group C encounter.
But first comes just England’s second friendly since March 2022 after a run of 16 consecutive competitive matches came to an end with last month’s 3-1 victory at Scotland.
Southgate avoided over-experimenting in Glasgow but still managed to try new things, just as he will in Friday’s sold-out encounter under the arch against the Socceroos.
“It’s one of the great sporting rivalries and if Australia have any sniff that we’re not taking the game seriously, then we will be in trouble,” the England boss said.
“Our mindset has got to be spot on. Equally, we’ve still got a bit of work to do to qualify for a European Championship, but we are potentially six games away from that.
“We have good players and we need to give people opportunities to show what they can do.
“That is part of our bond as a team, making sure people get chances to play and feel part of the group and important within that, so we have to get that right balance.
“Most importantly, we have got good players and we need to have them in positions on the field where they can do their best work and feel comfortable, positions they play with their clubs, so that the transfer is as smooth as possible.”
Jarrod Bowen will be hoping to make a dream Wembley debut after the West Ham star returned to the England set-up for the first time since September 2022.
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill could make his debut, while uncapped Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah and in-form Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins will hope to prove a worthy back-up to skipper Harry Kane.
Southgate would not confirm who will captain England on Friday, but it appears unlikely that Bayern Munich sharpshooter Kane will be leading the line from the start.
Asked if the Australia game is a chance for players to make their mark, the England boss said: “Yeah, I mean, I think one of the things we always want to do is to make playing for England enjoyable.
“It’s to take the tension out of playing for England, we want the lads to express themselves.
“Equally, when you play for England there is a pressure and you know that you’re not going to get 10 opportunities unless you play well.
“Every player that comes into the squad experiences that, has always done.
“So, you can’t relieve that. No matter what I say to a player, he’s going to know that, so players coming in they are opportunities and you have to grasp them.
“But they’ve had to do that at every stage of their career as well, when they first got into a club as a young player or when they first got in the first team at the club.
“They are used to that and all of them are more than capable of going and playing incredibly well, and they’ll also be very excited about a full house at Wembley and the opportunity to play there.”
Friday will only be England’s second match at Wembley this year and one that Harry Maguire would love to be involved in having found playing time hard to come by at Manchester United.
The under-fire defender was hounded by Scotland fans at Hampden Park on his last England appearance, which he this week revealed led former skipper David Beckham to get in contact with him.
“I was not aware (of the call from Beckham), but I can see from Harry’s comments how much it meant to him,” the England boss said.
“David has played at United, he has played for England, so he knows the world Harry is living in and it will have meant the world to him to get that support.
“(Maguire) is a very strong character, but nonetheless he is a human being and I am sure a call like that would have meant a huge amount to him.”
Bayer Leverkusen 5-2 Heidenheim: Hat-trick hero Schick inspires five-star comeback
A hat-trick from Bayer Leverkusen's Patrik Schick inspired the Bundesliga champions to come from two goals down to beat Heidenheim 5-2 on Saturday.
The emphatic triumph saw Xabi Alonso's side extend their unbeaten league run to nine matches, moving them up to fourth but still nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
However, Leverkusen found themselves behind inside the opening 10 minutes when Niklas Dorsch was teed up by Marvin Pieringer inside the box.
Heidenheim doubled their advantage soon after through Mathias Honsak, who danced his way beyond three defenders before finishing into the bottom left corner.
But two goals in two minutes from Exequiel Palacios and Schick drew the hosts level, with Leverkusen able to take a hold of the contest after the interval.
Schick notched his second of the game seven minutes after the restart to put Leverkusen ahead when he brilliantly flicked Florian Wirtz's cross beyond Kevin Muller.
The Czech striker completed his hat-trick with a header in the 71st minute, with Granit Xhaka sealing the win with a curled finish into the far left corner.
Data Debrief: Patrik hero
Ahead of kick-off, Leverkusen were dealt a huge injury blow with in-form striker Victor Boniface potentially ruled out until next year, but they needn't have worried.
Schick grasped his opportunity with both hands, putting on an impressive display and ending the game with more shots on target (four) and more touches in the opposition box (13), while also accumulating a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 1.37 to Leverkusen's 2.05 total.
He has now scored three or more goals in a Bundesliga game on three occasions for Leverkusen, with only Ulf Kirsten (seven) having done so more times for the club.
Fulham 1-4 Wolves: Classy Cunha stuns Craven Cottage
Matheus Cunha scored two goals and assisted one as Wolves stunned Fulham with a 4-1 victory at Craven Cottage, making it back-to-back Premier League wins for the visitors.
Alex Iwobi's fantastic long-range curler put Fulham ahead in the 19th minute but Cunha – a bright spark in a so far demoralising season for Gary O'Neil's men – poked home a 31st-minute equaliser.
Cunha turned provider as Joao Gomes put Wolves ahead early in the second half, with the Brazilian duo later trading roles when Cunha added his second with an astonishing finish from the edge of the box.
Fulham were forced to finish the game with 10 men due to Joachim Andersen sustaining an injury after they had used all their substitutes, and Goncalo Guedes came off the bench to add a fourth for Wolves.
The victory lifts them outside the relegation zone on nine points, while Fulham drop two places to ninth, four adrift of the top four.
Data Debrief: Clutch Cunha ready to lead Wolves' survival push
Cunha will justifiably grab the headlines in the coming days after a superb all-round display at Craven Cottage. His opening goal calmed the visitors' nerves before the break as a deft touch and finish ensured the away side went in level.
However, his link-up play in the second half really caught the eye, with a sharp pass to tee up Gomes and a late goal that took the game away from Fulham.
A debate between which of his two goals was better underlines just how impressive he was against Marco Silva's team. He has a total of 10 direct Premier League goal contributions so far this season (seven goals, three assists), meaning he has been involved in half of Wolves' strikes.
He also has 26 goal involvements in his last 29 Premier League starts, scoring 17 and assisting nine. If Wolves are to survive, he will hold the key.
Bournemouth 1-2 Brighton: Ten-man Seagulls hold out to end Cherries' home streak
Ten-man Brighton maintained the pressure on the Premier League’s top four by holding out for a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth.
The Seagulls scored early in both halves, with goals from Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma sealing the points at the Vitality Stadium.
Just four minutes had elapsed when Joao Pedro put Fabian Hurzeler’s side in front, tucking away the rebound after Kepa Arrizabalaga could only parry Georginio Rutter's fierce drive.
The Brazilian then turned provider in the 49th minute with a delightful throughball to release Mitoma, who slotted home.
Brighton had to play the final half an hour with a numerical disadvantage after Carlos Baleba was sent off for a second bookable offence, and Bournemouth pulled one back in stoppage time through David Brooks.
Antoine Semenyo then rattled the crossbar with the final kick of the game, as the visitors just about held on to move level on points again with Chelsea and Arsenal, who they trail on goal difference.
Data Debrief: Buoyant Brighton build on momentum
Having come from behind to beat reigning champions Manchester City before the international break, Brighton built on that momentum to prevent Bournemouth from winning four successive Premier League home games for the first time in their history.
Joao Pedro played a starring role once more with another goal and assist, meaning he has now been directly involved in eight goals in his last nine league appearances.
The Seagulls have now collected 13 points since the start of October, with no other side registering more during that time.
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