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England’s World Cup 2018 campaign starts here, when Nigeria, clad in their dazzling new kit which sold out within minutes of its release on Friday, arrive at Wembley.
Gareth Southgate has insisted the team he names will not necessarily be the one that starts the World Cup against Tunisia on 18th June but there are places still up for grabs.
Jordan Pickford starts between the sticks with Jesse Lingard part of an attacking midfield that also includes Raheem Sterling after a controversial and headline-grabbing week.
We will have all the action right here:
Live Updates
Hello and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of England's first World Cup 2018 warm-up game against Nigeria at Wembley! Join us throughout the afternoon for all the build-up before kick-off at 5.15pm BST. Gareth Southgate has told his England players there are still World Cup places to play for against Nigeria on Saturday. When the full-time whistle blows at HQ there will be little more than two weeks to go until the Three Lions' tournament curtain-raiser against Tunisia in Volgograd. And while Southgate has settled on the bulk of the XI which will start in Russia, there are still big incentives for those who impress against the Super Eagles at Wembley or versus Costa Rica at Elland Road five days later. "I don't think these are trial matches in that a bad performance rules someone out but there are opportunities for people to really stake a claim in areas of the pitch where there is huge competition for places," he said. The identity of Southgate's goalkeeper should prove telling, with Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland vying for the number one role ahead of the uncapped Nick Pope. Pickford has played just twice for the senior side, while Butland is the grizzled veteran of the group with seven appearances. Given that lack of experience, whoever takes the field at Wembley on Saturday must surely be in pole position to take the gloves for the Group G opener. "That will become apparent over the next five days," was Southgate's opaque response when the goalkeeping position was raised. "They are inexperienced in terms of senior international games but Pickford and Butland have the perfect path in terms of junior international tournaments and a lot of Premier League football under their belts." There is also some jockeying for position behind captain Harry Kane. Raheem Sterling has done enough, both with Premier League champions Manchester City and in a pair of lively England outings in March, to take one attacking slot meaning Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli could be scrapping for the other shirt. And Lingard, who will definitely start against Nigeria, is buoyed rather than bowed by the prospect of representing his country at the highest level. "At the moment, I don't feel any pressure. I am enjoying my football and playing freely," he said. "As long as we believe in ourselves and the country backs us we will go out and do well. It is your nation and your country and when you get selected, it's an honour putting on the shirt." Fabian Delph can expect a lengthy run-out, having snuck into the final squad despite winning the last of his nine caps back in 2015. Southgate is keen on the Manchester City midfielder's versatility, attitude and discipline but needs to see how he fits into the England system. Jordan Henderson's absence - he and Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold have been given extra time off following their Champions League heartbreak - creates an obvious gap. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is another who is likely to see action after impressing in his two previous appearances. In defence Harry Maguire may be treated with kid gloves after sitting out training for two days this week due to a muscular issue, and Phil Jones has left the group to attend the birth of his second child. That means a possible return for Chelsea skipper Gary Cahill, the most experienced member of the squad who earned a reprieve after being axed in March. "There is a real competition for places in every position," said Southgate. "We need to focus on the 23, not just the starting XI. You know where people are at physically, and people stay in if they're playing well. If players are in on reputation or name, that breeds a bit of discord. "When you have a clear rationale, a clear understanding of how you want to play, that makes the decisions easier." Gareth Southgate has backed Raheem Sterling to come through the controversy surrounding his gun tattoo and stay focused on final preparations for the World Cup. The 23-year-old Manchester City forward has been under intense scrutiny during the past week after it emerged he had a tattoo of a gun on his right leg. Sterling explained the new ink in an Instagram post, revealing it is a tribute to his late father. The Football Association has supported Sterling since the body art was highlighted on The Sun's front page earlier in the week and the player trained with the tattoo on display. Southgate was quizzed on Sterling's tattoo at his Friday afternoon press conference ahead of tonight's friendly against Nigeria at Wembley. Gareth Southgate supports Raheem Sterling over gun tattoo controversy The scene is set at Wembley. Having rotated the armband throughout his tenure, Southgate has settled on Harry Kane for the tournament, edging out the claims of Liverpool's Jordan Henderson. He has scored five times in his four previous outings as skipper, suggesting he is not weighed down by the role, but now would be the perfect time for a classic 'captain's performance'. Kane will be the figurehead and focal point in Russia so it is vital he arrives in good form. Here we go. Nigeria, clearly not ones for rules or red tape, have revealed their team with kick off still an hour and a half away. As expected it's a strong side with Arsenal's Alex Iwobi and Chelsea's Victor Moses among those selected. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel will captain the Super Eagles this evening. The staggered ending to the season means workload and fatigue are likely to figure high in team selection. Liverpool pair Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold will play no part having been granted time off following the Champions League, while the FA Cup finalists from Manchester United and Chelsea may be treated with kid gloves after their own extra exertions. That could mean opportunity knocks for other members of the squad who have found themselves further down the pecking order in previous get togethers. In Raheem Sterling England have a versatile, Premier League title-winning player coming off the back of his most prolific season in front of goal. Everything should be pointing towards a defining summer with the national team. But the front-page treatment of the gun tattoo on his right leg has once again weighed the talented forward down with unconnected criticisms. How much the row has affected him, or otherwise, may become apparent over 90 minutes. The age old policy of arranging friendlies who are geographically close to tournament opponents continues to be rolled out around the globe - see Panama lining up Northern Ireland as their Three Lions proxies earlier this week. Nigeria, therefore, represent stand-ins for England's Group G African opponents Tunisia. Expect to see some hints about Southgate's proposed tactics for that tournament curtain-raiser, in terms of tactics, system and style. Here's the England team. As expected Jordan Pickford starts in goal with Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young on the flanks and Eric Dier, Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli in the middle of the park. Raheem Sterling starts up top alongside skipper Harry Kane. Let's unpack that then. It's an attacking line-up from Southgate with Lingard, Alli and Sterling all involved. It looks like he's sticking with the 3-5-2 he's used in the last four friendlies with Sterling the most advanced alongside Kane. Trippier plays on the right with Trent Alexander-Arnold still yet to arrive following Liverpool's Champions League exploits. Pickford has first use of the gloves. Is that an omen for the summer? The atmosphere is building outside Wembley now. The half-half scarf salesmen are doing a roaring trade. Plenty of interest in this one, from both sides. Let's talk about that kit. It's the talk of world football and it gets it's first outing this evening. Nike describe it as: "A tribute to their 1994 debut on the world stage, the 2018 home kit features the traditional green torso, with the Super Eagles-inspired black and white sleeves. "To modernise the shirt, the feather pattern has been abstracted, and the colours updated for a bold look on the pitch. "Turned into an international phenomenon by artists Wizkid, Skepta and Not3s, the 2018 Nigeria home kit was iconic before it even took the pitch." It's certainly proved popular. Over three million were pre-ordered and it sold out in minutes. Despite that there a fair few on show at Wembley today. The skipper is here. Not long to wait until kick-off now with the action now just around the corner. The atmosphere is building for what should be an entertaining encounter. Nigeria aren't here to make up the numbers by any means- they mean business. "We have a lot of great players who have a lot of personality," vice-captain Ogenyi Onazi said ahead of today's game. "We have talents outside of football. I play the drums, I play the bass guitar. "It is a game everybody has been looking up to. Everyone is waiting for this game." As we've already discussed Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold aren't involved this evening after Liverpool's efforts in Kiev a week ago. Both are here though and will be watching on with the rest of us. Next
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What time is kick-off?
The game will kick off at Wembley at 5.15pm BST.
Where can I watch it?
The game will be shown on ITV, with coverage starting at 5.00pm BST.
Odds?
England: 2/5
Nigeria: 19/2
Odds: 62/17
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Final score: England 2 Nigeria 1
In the recent era they have barely left a smudge on the consciousness of World Cup finals, but if the penultimate friendly before Russia 2018 told us one thing it's that Gareth Southgate is at least an England manager who is prepared to attack the greatest tournament in sport.
This was a first-half performance of ambition that took England into a two-goal half-time lead and saw them stretched rather more after the break once Nigeria had got the measure of a 3-5-2 Southgate formation that set the tempo. Southgate will hope it is the England of the first half he sees in Russia, pressing high, moving the ball quickly and creating chances, but history tells us that one never knows what might happen.
In that first half, Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli were released from midfield, with only Eric Dier required to hold. There was width, especially in a fine performance from Tottenham Hotspur’s Kieran Trippier on the right and a striking partnership between Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling. The nagging fear was that it took very little to undo that confident start, with Nigeria’s German coach Gernot Rohr later disclosing that he simply switched at half-time to mirror England’s system.
Before then Gary Cahill, and later Kane, had plundered the goals over a first half in which the Super Eagles conspicuously failed to soar. Following soon after four half-time substitutions, Alex Iwobi’s early second-half goal gave Nigeria the confidence to attack and England were never the same again. Their coach Rohr blamed the distractions of long flights, a presidential reception in Abuja, “bad food” and a rain storm that prevented them training at Wembley for the slow start.
For Sterling it was an inauspicious end to the week, two first-half chances missed and then a booking for a bad dive in the second half. Southgate conceded afterwards that he felt he was left with no option but to shelve any punishment for the player’s failure to make his own extended deadline for the squad meet on the Tuesday of last week once the storm had broken over his assault rifle tattoo. So instead of being dropped for his lateness, Sterling was in the team, even though the player himself later said to ITV he could not have complained about being left out.
ENGLAND continue to prepare for the 2018 World Cup in Russia this summer with an international friendly at home to Nigeria.
The two teams meet today as Gareth Southgate's side play for the first time since the final squad was confirmed.
AFP or licensors England take on Nigeria as they step up their World Cup preparations
World Cup 2018: England's group opponents Panama bust a move on flight ahead of friendly in Norway
What time is kick-off?
THIS game takes place TODAY - Saturday, June 2.
The match will be held at Wembley Stadium.
Kick-off is at 5.15pm.
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Which channel is it on and can I live stream it?
YOU can watch this game live on ITV, with coverage starting at 5pm.
Fans will also be able to live stream the game from the ITV hub.
Alternatively, you can keep up-to-date with all the latest action on the SunSport LIVE blog.
What is the team news?
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