Date: Tuesday, September 10 Venue: Olympic Stadium K/o: 19:45 England manager Roy Hodgson will be hoping Rickie Lambert rescues him from his striking crisis against Ukraine in tonight's Group H World Cup qualifier.
Team News
The Three Lions will be without Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck for tonight's clash in Kiev. Hodgson will make only one change however to the side that won 4-0 at home to Moldova last Friday, meaning midfielder Frank Lampard will earn his 100th cap. Manchester City's James Milner is expected to replace the suspended Welbeck. Ukraine are set to start with striker Marko Devic, while Yevhen Konoplyanka is set to keep his place on the left flank and Andriy Yarmolenko on the right in a 4-4-2 formation. The home side are coming into this game in superb form having previously thumped San Marino 9-0. (source: BBC)
Key Stats
Ukraine's 9-0 win over San Marino last Friday was the biggest win in their history. England top Group H on goal difference and with a game-in-hand on second placed Montenegro, but can be overtaken by Ukraine tonight with a defeat. The last time these sides met was the first stage of this World Cup qualifier double header, with the game ending 1-1 at Wembley Stadium. Of the last six encounters, dating back to 2000, the Three Lions have been victorious four times, with one defeat and a draw.
Likely Line-Ups
Ukraine Pyatov, Khacheridi, Shevchuk, Fedetskiy, Rakitskiy, Tymoshchuk, Yarmolenko, Konoplyanka, Edmar, Seleznyov, Devic England Hart, Walker, Cahill, Jagielka, Cole, Lampard, Gerrard, Wilshere, Milner, Walcott, Lambert Now click "Next" for our Match Preview.
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.
