England Women boss Sarina Wiegman will take charge of the Lionesses for the first time this evening as they play North Macedonia in a World Cup qualifier.
The match is the first of 10 qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup and former Netherlands boss Wiegman is impressed with what she has seen so far in the England group.
She said: “I’ve seen many things. First of all, an enormous, great work ethic. I’m very excited I can work with the team, but they work so hard, sometimes we have to ask just to slow down a little bit.
“There’s very much quality. We had some principles we brought in, and they are just going for it and they really want to do very well. What I know is we have a very good team, that the players are very willing to become better, to work together, very eager to learn.
“The ingredients are here to perform really well. We want a good win, scoring a lot of goals and conceding none. We want to show how good we are and make the English crowd proud of us.”
Here’s all you need to know about the fixture.
When is it?
The match will kick-off at 7pm BST on Friday 17 September at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton.
Where can I watch?
The qualifier will be available for fans to watch in the UK on ITV 4. Coverage begins from 6.15pm and supporters can also stream the match on the ITV Hub.
Team news
England’s Fran Kirby is in doubt as she took part in reduced training sessions to ‘manage her load’. Captain Steph Houghton has withdrawn from the game due to an ankle injury.
Predicted line-up
England: Earps; Greenwood, Bright, Wubben-Moy; Williamson, Stanway, Scott, Zelem; Hemp, Mead, White.
Odds
England – 33/1
Draw – 66/1
North Macedonia – 45/1
Prediction
England have a point to prove after losing their most recent matches and so they will be fighting for a victory in Southampton. North Macedonia will cause some problems in the midfield but they won’t be strong enough to overcome the hosts. England 3-1 North Macedonia.