England vs Andorra LIVE: World Cup Qualifier score, team news, radio & updates

'We want to prove a point'

England v Andorra (17:00 BST)

England

England manager Thomas Tuchel speaking to ITV: "Excellent week with the highest quality in the training sessions, commitment was high and off the pitch was a very good group so we enjoyed it a lot but this is only the first part and now we want to prove a point and get this thing going."

On handling players game time with the next fixture on Tuesday: "They're used to playing Saturdays and Tuesdays normally in the Champions League and Premier League. We have a strong team and squad and a lot of players would have deserved to start but we decided for this team and we're happy."

On giving Elliot Anderson his debut: "A number six role. It was just a moment to give him straight away his debut and see how he copes with it. It's another level of pressure in comparison to the under-21s. I think he can be a player for us in midfield."

On being better at breaking down teams: "We will have a slightly different formation because the formation I chose in the last match was not ideal to give them a bit more of a headache and have a bit more of variation and freedom. We will attack with more players down both sides and if the middle opens up we will have creativity. Hopefully we have enough to break down the first five players and to stress their back five."

On if England could show one quality above all today: "I hope they can show the energy they showed to me, if they do this the rest will take care of itself."

Loftus-Cheek 'completely forgot' about playing for England

England v Andorra (17:00 BST)

Alex Howell

BBC Sport football reporter

Ruben Loftus-Cheek says he "completely forgot" about playing for England and was "just a fan" during his near seven-year absence from the national team.

Loftus-Cheek's last appearance for the Three Lions came in a friendly against the United States in November 2018 after he had been part of Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad that reached the semi-finals in Russia the same year.

The 29-year-old midfielder ruptured his Achilles in 2019 playing for Chelsea in a friendly in the USA before the Europa League final, and subsequently dropped out of the England reckoning.

He joined AC Milan in 2023 and has made 71 appearances for the Rossoneri in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and registering three assists.

"When I ruptured my Achilles, I was on such a high [before it happened], so after that I had a hard time mentally," said Loftus-Cheek, who is among the subs today.

"But I was still young, I still had time to come back, so I wasn't too low."

He added he had "got used" to not joining up with England because he had been away for so long.

"You still want to push in club football with the hope of maybe getting a sniff," he said. "But I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead."

Is Tuchel's style working?

England v Andorra (17:00 BST)

Brendon Mitchell

BBC Sport

The jury is still out.

When you compare England's three World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel with their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign under Southgate - the best like-for-like comparison in terms of standard of opposition - the numbers are broadly similar.

However, there are some signs of encouragement too. Stats measuring possession, passing sequences and touches inside the opposition's box are all up.

The average number of goals per game has dropped but England outperformed their expected goals stat in 2022, while they're currently not scoring as many goals as they should be. Continue as they are and they should flow.

The defensive numbers suggest a more aggressive approach to pressing, too, with high turnovers up from 11.1 per game to 13.7 per game, while the number of opposition passes per defensive action - such as an attempt to win the ball back - has gone down.

Spence hopes to inspire as first Muslim England player

England v Andorra (17:00 BST)

Djed Spence hopes to inspire future generations if he becomes the first Muslim player to represent the senior England men's team.

Although the Football Association does not keep a record of a player's religion, it is understood Spence could become the first Muslim man to play for the England team.

"It's a blessing - it's just amazing. I don't have the words really," said the 25-year-old.

"I pray a lot, I give gratitude to God. In the toughest moments of my life, the darkest moments, I've always believed that God has always been by my side. It's a big thing for me, my faith."

Spence says he does not feel any additional weight on his shoulders because of his religion but hopes his story can lift others.

"I don't really feel the pressure for certain things. I just play football with a smile on my face, be happy, and the rest will take care of yourself," he added.

"If I can do it, you can do it. Not just Muslim kids, any child of any faith. Put your mind to something and you can do it."

'They need the feel good factor'

England v Andorra (17:00 BST)

Roy Keane

Former Republic of Ireland midfielder on ITV

England need to start out with the right attitude, the manager mentioned it in his manager notes, what you want in every game is a bit of hunger. We know their quality but they need to show it and we haven't seen that in the last few England games, we haven't seen it yet.

It's an important occasion, they're on the road in front of a big crowd and they need to get some momentum and the feel good factor back into the group - particularly for the manager.

England U15 team as ball boys as FA try to keep top talent

Alex Howell

BBC Sport football reporter at Villa Park

I reported that the ball boys for this evening's game are the England U15 team.

This is done to keep them engaged with England while they don't have a game and also to keep the players having a good feeling about England in an age where more and more players are eligible for more than one nation.

Someone has just shown a couple of players near me to where they are sitting.

The players are in the position around the pitch where they play so they can watch the seniors to pick up tips.

You can read here more about what the FA are doing to keep their top talent.

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