England vs Italy notebook: Tammy Abraham expected to start at Molineux | Jack Grealish to continue super-sub role?

As England prepare to face Italy for the first time since the Euro 2020 final, Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett looks at the key talking points ahead of the Nations League fixture at Molineux. Could Tammy Abraham lead the line? Will Jack Grealish continue his super-sub role?

Abraham at top of his game and expected to start

Roma striker Tammy Abraham is expected to be in the starting line-up for England in their Nations League game against Italy tonight.

Harry Kane is due to be rested after playing two games in four days against Hungary and Germany.

Abraham has been in tremendous form all season with 29 goals in all competitions, but hasn't featured at all for England so far in this international break.

Abraham is in cracking form; he's the highest-scoring Englishman in Italy since Gerry Hitchens in 1962, so he's absolutely at the top of his game.

The battle for the understudy position in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad is very much alive and well. Abraham will be desperate to start this game so that he can stake a claim for that with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Patrick Bamford and Ollie Watkins not involved in this squad. A real opportunity for Abraham if he gets the chance.

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Is Grealish England's super-sub?

Jack Grealish made a real impact against Germany. His direct running, and his slick inter-passing were really, really impressive and it's become a big, big debate - is he now England's super-sub or does he start?

Grealish has only started three of the previous 11 internationals for England and the last game he started was in October last year against Hungary.

He did make a difference when he came on against Germany and when you look at the stats, he exceeded Bukayo Saka, he matched Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham for the number of passes he made in the final third, and he was only the pitch for 20 minutes.

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However, Southgate did challenge Grealish to improve his tactical nous if he was going to get a regular starting place for England. What I think he's talking about there is recoveries, tackles, blocks, and working back for the team, which is a huge part of Mount's game for Chelsea and England.

A lot of work that Mount does for England is not particularly noticed because we think of him as a creative midfielder, but he works very hard for the team and works back a lot.

That's what Southgate wants Grealish to do more of. Will Mount do that role again? He started the previous two games - two games in four days for him - so you would have to guess he will probably be given a rest. That does potentially open the door for Grealish and a lot of England fans are clamouring for that.

Tomori, Guehi, Ward-Prowse in from the start?

Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi missed the start of this England training camp because they came into it with injuries, but the AC Milan defender, in particular, has a really strong chance of taking part in this game against Italy.

He's going to be up against opposition he knows very, very well in Italy. AC Milan conceded only 31 goals all season - that was the joint-lowest in the division and Tomori's been absolutely key for that. We might not have seen too much of it in this country but Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland have. He's arguably England's most in-form centre-back right now. The fact he's back available could be really, really valuable.

James Ward-Prowse also looks in line to start with the Southampton captain joining Southgate in the pre-match press conference at St George's Park, so a real opportunity for him to impress too.

Foden back after Covid-19, Phillips out

Phil Foden is back in the England camp. He was training on Friday and that's big news because he was absent for the first two games against Hungary and Germany having tested positive for Covid-19 when he first signed up for international duty. Southgate said he was hopeful he might be back in time if he was symptom-free to be involved in these final two matches against Italy and Hungary at Molineux.

Kalvin Phillips is missing though after coming off with a dead leg against Germany. He was a key part of Southgate's side in the Euros and I think he would have wanted to play him in this game against Italy. He and Declan Rice are the first-choice holding midfield players that Southgate always goes with against the bigger and better teams, which you have to say Italy are.

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Behind-closed-doors game embarrassing for England

After the trouble at the Euro 2020 final last summer, England have been ordered to play this game behind closed doors by UEFA, but the stadium will not be completely empty. Around 3,000 local schoolchildren under the age of 14 have been given free tickets to Molineux to watch the game.

So it will not be completely empty, but it will be a stark reminder of why England are being punished. We all remember those scenes outside Wembley last year when there was widespread violence and disorder, fans breaking through into the ground without tickets. UEFA took a very dim view of it and said England must play one game behind closed doors and another suspended.

It's a shame because it's a repeat of that final against Italy and a chance for England to get a bit of revenge. So it will be a strange atmosphere and a little bit embarrassing for English football in truth.

England vs Italy - Opta stats

• This is the first meeting between England and Italy since the EURO 2020 final last July. The game ended 1-1 before the Italians won 3-2 on penalties.
• Italy have lost just two of their last 15 games against England in all competitions (W7 D6), losing 2-0 in June 1997 and 2-1 in August 2012, both in friendlies. In competitive matches, they've lost just once in nine meetings (W5 D3), a 2-0 defeat in a World Cup qualifier in November 1977.
• England are playing an international match at Molineux - the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers - for only the fifth time, with the other four coming between 1891 and 1956. In the most recent game in 1956, they won 5-2 against Denmark with Tommy Taylor scoring a hat-trick and Duncan Edwards scoring twice.
• England have won just one of their last five games in the UEFA Nations League (D1 L3), failing to score on three occasions. Meanwhile, Italy have lost just one of their 12 games in the UEFA Nations League group stage (W5 D6).
• England have failed to win their last two matches (D1 L1), only once before have they gone three without a win under Gareth Southgate, doing so in a three-game losing streak between July and September 2018.

Mancini must come up with answers as Italy start all over again

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Eleven months after Italy's Euro 2020 final penalty shootout victory over England at Wembley, Roberto Mancini prepares his side to face Gareth Southgate's team but the European champions have experienced a chastening year...

England's forgotten man Rashford facing make-or-break summer

Sky Sports' Ben Grounds:

This winter's World Cup will feel further away than ever for Marcus Rashford but the door remains still open for him to make a return for England.

What is England's best XI?

Gareth Southgate rang the changes and fielded his most experienced side since taking the reigns at St George's Park during the 1-1 draw with Germany on Tuesday after suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat to Hungary at the weekend.

The England manager faced familiar criticism for deploying a five-at-the back system against Hungary, who rank 40th in the FIFA World Rankings, before reverting to a 4-2-3-1 against Hansi Flick's side.

Southgate has also tended to deploy Jack Grealish later on in games as an impact substitute, which proved effective against the Germans, but has raised questions about whether the Manchester City forward deserves a starting berth. Use our team selector to have your say!

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