Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets says he and his team-mates are preparing for a ‘big game’ against England at Wembley on Tuesday evening. Both sides have taken ten points from a possible 12 in their World Cup qualifying campaigns to date, but will take time away from competitive action to face off in London.
Wellington Phoenix overcame the absence of key players as they moved off the bottom of the A-League table with a 2-0 win over Central Coast. Roy Krishna was again their main goal threat against the Mariners, scoring the opener and laying on the second for Hamish Watson. Ernie Merrick’s side were without five players due to international duty, but it didn’t prevent them collecting a second win in a row to leapfrog their opponents in the table. The Phoenix netted twice in the space of seven second-half minutes to settle the contest played in blustery conditions at Canberra’s GIO Stadium.
Gareth Southgate has tipped John Stones to be an England great and believes the Manchester City defender should continue to play out from the back. The former Barnsley and Everton star was criticised from some sloppy play during England’s patchy display on Friday when Southgate’s side beat Scotland 3-0 in their latest World Cup qualifier at Wembley. However, Southgate has backed Stones, who he thinks can be as good as Barcelona’s Gerard Pique or Mats Hummels of Bayern Munich.
Juan Mata is keen to play for Spain in Tuesday’s friendly against England at Wembley. The Manchester United playmaker insists that playing at Wembley is ‘special’ and he feels it will be extra-special to play against England in the national stadium. Mata was an unused substitute as Spain overcame Macedonia 4-0 in their World Cup qualifier in Los Carmenes on Saturday evening.
Jonny May, the 26-year-old Gloucester player will start on one wing and Marland Yarde on the other, with Semesa Rokoduguni missing out. Northampton’s Tom Wood has also been included in the 25-man squad for the match against the Springboks and is expected to start at open-side flanker, with Chris Robshaw and Billy Vunipola completing the back row. Wood has been recalled to the squad because of injuries to James Haskell, Maro Itoje, Jack Clifford, Sam Jones and Mike Williams.
The duo have been called up for the World Cup qualifier against Scotland on Friday because of injuries to Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater and Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster. Arsenal’s Theo Walcott may also pull of the squad as his wife is pregnant while Southgate will keep a close eye on Tottenham striker Harry Kane who returned to action after a seven-week lay-off because of an ankle injury on Sunday in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.