Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Socceroos’ clash with England on October 14 (AEDT) at Wembley Stadium.
An old rivalry resumes in London on Saturday morning (AEDT), when the Socceroos travel to face England at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.
The two nations haven’t met in men’s international football since 2016, when a teenage Marcus Rashford became England’s youngest-ever scorer in a 2-1 win over the Socceroos. That friendly encounter was the first since Australia’s iconic 3-1 win over England in 2003 – a result Graham Arnold’s side will be hoping to replicate on their travels this time around.
Ahead of Saturday morning’s friendly, here’s everything you need to know.
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When is the game?
The friendly kicks off on Friday night local time, but viewers Down Under will be setting their alarms early for the 5.45am (AEDT) kick-off.
Match details – England v Australia
Date: Friday 13 October (local) / Saturday 14 October (AEDT)
Kick-off: 7:45pm (local) / 5:45am AEDT
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play & Paramount+
How can I watch?
The match will be live and free to watch via Network 10 and 10 Play, as well as streaming service Paramount+.
Team news
England’s 26-player squad was reduced to 25 on Monday when Arsenal star Bukayo Saka was assessed by Football Association (FA) medical staff and ruled out due to injury.
Saka missed Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Manchester City on Sunday due to a hamstring strain suffered against Lens in the UEFA Champions League in midweek; the national camp insisted on assessing Saka before confirming Arsenal’s prognosis that the winger would be in no condition to take part in this international window.
Meanwhile, forwards Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins make a return to the England squad for the first time in 2023, while John Stones, who has missed the majority of the start of the Premier League season with Manchester City due to injury, is back in the group after missing the September international window.
The Socceroos were dealt an injury blow of their own when Middlesbrough playmaker Riley McGree was withdrawn from their 23-player squad due to a foot injury sustained on club duty.
McGree missed his side’s Championship clash with Sunderland due to the injury and, on Tuesday morning, was replaced in the Socceroos squad by Standard de Liège midfielder Aiden O’Neill.
There’s a well-earned recall for Ipswich Town midfielder Massimo Luongo in the October window; the midfielder hasn’t played for the Socceroos in almost five years, but the 31-year-old, who scored the opening goal in the AFC Asian Cup final in 2015, has earned his spot in Arnold’s squad after a purple patch of form in the Championship. Luongo joined Ipswich Town in January and has helped guide his new side into second place on the Championship table.
A-Leagues stars Brandon Borrello, Aziz Behich and Andrew Redmayne are recalled to the Socceroos squad, while Mohamed Toure, Alex Robertson and Patrick Yazbek are named as train-on players.
Australia
World Ranking: 27
Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan (AZ Alkmaar), Tom Glover (Middlesbrough), Andrew Redmayne (Sydney FC)
Defenders: Aziz Behich (Melbourne City), Jordan Bos (KVC Westerlo), Cameron Burgess (Ipswich Town), Alessandro Circati (Parma), Milos Degenek (Crvena Zvezda), Lewis Miller (Hibernian), Kye Rowles (Hearts), Harry Souttar (Leicester City), Ryan Strain (St Mirren)
Midfielders: Keanu Baccus (St Mirren), Craig Goodwin (Al Wehda), Jackson Irvine (St Pauli), Massimo Luongo (Ipswich Town), Aiden O’Neill (Standard Liege), Connor Metcalfe (St Pauli)
Forwards: Martin Boyle (Hibernian), Brandon Borrello (Western Sydney Wanderers), Mitchell Duke (Machida Zelvia), Awer Mabil (Grasshopper Club Zurich), Sam Silvera (Middlesbrough)
England
World ranking: 4
Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Defenders: Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Lewis Dunk (Brighton and Hove Albion), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Al-Ettifaq), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur), Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
England players to look out for
Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham has scored 10 goals in first 10 games in a lightning start to his debut season at Real Madrid.
The last player to achieve the same mind-boggling statistic at the Spanish giants? Cristiano Ronaldo.
The difference? Bellingham is a central midfielder.
The Englishman has settled into life brilliantly in Madrid – and his mind-boggling form has led some people to pose the question: is the 20-year-old the best player in the world on current form?
That question was posed to England boss Southgate as he prepared to welcome his players into camp.
“It’s not a stupid question,” Southgate said.
“I haven’t seen everybody and studied everybody playing. All I can say is he’s at one of the biggest clubs in the world, arguably the biggest, and he’s playing exceptionally well and he’s currently the match-winner for them so he’s in a brilliant place.
“He’s been the match-winner for Real Madrid and the start for him has been absolutely phenomenal. I’m chuffed to bits for him.”
“He’s playing higher,” Southgate added. “We played him higher against Scotland, he had that freedom in the Ukraine game as well, we didn’t use the game well enough in the final third.
“But he’s always looked dangerous and had an impact around the opposing box with Dortmund and with us, without looking quite as calm as he has this season in front of goal.
“It’s brilliant to have people who can win games. He’s been the match-winner for Real Madrid and the start for him has been absolutely phenomenal. I’m chuffed to bits for him.”
Harry Kane
Harry Kane is another England star revelling in a fresh start at a top European club. An assist in Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over Freiberg on the weekend took his total goal contribution tally to 14 in 10 games in 2023-24 (nine goals, five assists).
Kane is delivering for his new club after an off-season move from Tottenham Hotspur – where our next player to watch is absolutely flying for the Lillywhites.
James Maddison
James Maddison took the number 10 from Kane at Tottenham, and has quickly set about filling the void left by the club’s all-time record goalscorer.
Maddison has two goals and five assists to his name through eight Premier League games, providing the pass to Micky van de Ven to score 10-man Tottenham’s solitary goal in a 1-0 win over Luton Town, sending Aussie Ange Postecoglou’s side top of the Premier League as domestic action paused for the current international break.
Tottenham are unbeaten in the Premier League to date this season (6W, 2D) with one of those six victories coming in controversial fashion against Liverpool; Maddison and Reds defender Trent Alexander-Arnold exchanged cheeky barbs on social media upon arrival in the England camp following the major VAR mishap that disallowed a legal Liverpool goal against Spurs.
