Croacia-Inglaterra face the shadow of the “City case”

Croacia-Inglaterra will be played against the backdrop of the “City case”, as its repercussions continue to unsettle English football. Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that his players were not untouched by the matter on the eve of their Group A3 Nations League match. In Rijeka, in a stadium closed to spectators, the Three Lions will need to stay sharply focused: much is at stake. Both teams have three points after their first two matches, while Spain have six. A win is therefore needed in the contest for second place, which also secures a quarter-final place.

Asked about discussions surrounding the Premier League decision holding City responsible for financial breaches, Tuchel said: “We had some free time between matches and it’s an important issue.” He added: “Of course, the players talk about it. The City players talk about it. We speak with them, but only briefly. They are ready to play.”

Managing the workload will also be important: Slaven Bilic and Tuchel have four matches in eleven days to negotiate. Tuchel cited Anderson and Anthony Gordon as players carrying a heavy physical load. The Barcelona winger, who scored against Spain and again in Prague, could therefore start on the bench against his teammate Dominik Livakovic.

The match is scheduled for 18:00 at HNK Rijeka Stadium. Bilic is counting on Luka Modric, who was a substitute against Spain on Tuesday at the age of 41.