Former Liverpool and striker Emile Heskey has made his prediction for the on Tuesday night.
Should ’s side beat Gli Azzurri at Wembley they will seal qualification for next summer’s .
It will be a difficult game, as while England won the reverse fixture in March 2-1, they had failed to beat Italy in their previous six meetings, a run that also includes the Euro 2020 final defeat on penalties.
This will be Italy’s first visit to Wembley since that fateful night, and though Kyle Walker is looking for ‘a little bit of payback’, Heskey believes that the Italians will be equally fired up as they look to inflict more pain on their opponents.
Heskey, speaking to BoyleSports who offer the latest markets, said: ‘Italy will be tough. They always are!
‘They’re a team who want to defend and they certainly know how to do that. We all know that teams will turn up against England and they’ll be looking to beat them badly.
‘There was a lot of banter going around after the Euros final, with them mocking the Three Lions song! I’d go for a 1-1 or a 2-2.’
Having rested his key players for the friendly win over Australia last Friday, – with the notable exception of injured Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka.
Debate rages on over what England’s best team is and with next summer’s tournament fast approaching, time is running out for the manager to finalise his plans.
‘Choosing my ideal England XI is tough as there are so many great players.
‘I love Kyle Walker, for example. [Kieran] Trippier is great too, and I can’t ignore his set-piece delivery. Jude Bellingham has got to be in, and I love Phil Foden, too.
‘I think Jack Grealish is fantastic on the left. A midfield of Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Phil Foden would be brilliant. There won’t be many teams who could stop it. It’s so dynamic.
‘If everyone was fit, my England XI would be: [Jordan] Pickford, Walker, [Marc] Guehi, [John] Stones, [Ben] Chilwell, Rice, Bellingham, Foden, Saka, Grealish, and [Harry] Kane.’
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