With England suffering from something of a striking crisis, due to injuries to Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge along with the suspension picked up by Danny Welbeck, it will be up to Rickie Lambert to perform tonight. Fortunately for manager Roy Hodgson, the Southampton forward's transition to international football has been virtually seamless, scoring twice in as many appearances to date. His headed goal against Scotland last month won the game in a 3-2 victory and he was at it again against Moldova, netting in the 4-0 thumping. But it is a solid performance tonight that fans are really hoping for. With Lambert expected to play as the sole striker in a 4-5-1 formation, his hold-up play will be just as crucial as his finishing touch, and he will need to keep the ball for the likes of Walcott and Jack Wilshere to get into their stride. The spotlight is well and truly shining squarely on the shoulders of the 31-year-old, with Ukraine defender Yaroslav Rakitskiy hoping to frustrate England's only real goal-scoring threat. And if he does, the Three Lions could be in for a torrid time. Now read our Ukraine vs England match preview for all the latest team news. Who do you think will win tonight's match? Can the Three Lions do it? Let us know in the comment section, below.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
