Matt Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live at Stadion HNK Rijeka

It is great to see so many young people get to watch this game.

They will get to see a brilliant game close-up and personal.

England

England boss Thomas Tuchel, speaking to ITV on selecting Alex Scott: "He did so well in training and he did so well when he had his debut. He brings the full package. He has legs. He's good in defending, good in the high press, very smooth on the ball. Good decision-making at the moment that's why he has our trust.

"We need a complete performance in all aspects. We need to adapt to the circumstances because I think our advantage could be physicallity and a real competitive match then we will have the edge. Now it feels more like an open training session at the moment from the enviromnent. I think that will suit them better than us but hopefully we can bring the intensity to the match and we can get the edge in physicality over them."

This is taking place in a lovely ground. You can see the sea in the distance behind one of the goals.

The ground is packed full of children and the players are starting to gather in the tunnel.

The sun is also out. Autumn has not yet arrived in Croatia.

Image source, PA Media

Elliot Anderson is making his 20th appearance for England, only 392 days since he made his debut - it is the quickest a player has reached 20 caps for the Three Lions, overtaking the record held by Chris Waddle (453 days).

How are Alex Scott's nerves right now?

The midfielder is just minutes away from his first England start.

Scott is just the second Bournemouth player to start a match for England, after Callum Wilson against the USA in November 2018.

England

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, on playing in front of 100 England fans: "There is nothing better than playing in a full stadium, but it brings different challenges and you will see more leaders on the pitch.

"It’s a game of football against a top nation, a game we need to win to go second in the group or stay second in the group."

Lee1972: Kane is a fantastic player. He's also a fantastic role model as how a professional should conduct himself.

England

England boss Thomas Tuchel, speaking to ITV1 on Trent Alexander-Arnold not starting: "It was very close. There is a lot to defend on the side, especially with Perisic."

Stephen Warnock
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Elliot Anderson and Alex Scott were brilliant at the under-21 European Championship in 2025.

They compliment each other very well. Scott is an exceptional player, Thomas Tuchel sees it day in and day out. He deserves this.

What it brings is a different dynamic in midfield. Scott is probably underrated in how many times he turns over possession.

He is always looking forward. I think it is a really good combination.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport England reporter at Stadion HNK Rijeka

Image source, Getty Images

The Stadion HNK Rijeka is a small stadium and for a match that is supposed to be behind closed doors, it's pretty full.

The 6,000 children in attendance have almost filled all the seats and although it is a very different atmosphere to most games, it will give some level of noise to what is a big game in the Nations League.

James Bond's body guard: Harry is a legend and has been a great advert for English football. The problem with replacing him lies in the PL clubs being unwilling to give young Englishmen the responsibility of leading the front line. Spurs took a huge gamble on him when he was young and it obviously paid off. But the top six clubs rarely entrust that responsibility to young English lads.

Croatia

Luka Modric (205) Ivan Perisic (161) and Mateo Kovacic (120) are now three of Croatia's four most capped players - their 486 total caps (including today) are more than the entire England starting XI have combined (468).

England

England boss Thomas Tuchel, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, on facing Croatia away: "I am not judging and weighing matches more important than others. This can be an important one for the group.

"I feel they will approach it like a cup match, a cup semi-final or something. This is what they maybe want to create.

"I am not sure it's happening with the atmosphere, with a lot of children in the stadium, but let’s see how it plays out."

Ziltoid: I wondered what Barcelona were thinking when they paid so much for Gordon, but he really has gone up a level these last two games.

Croatia

Image source, Getty Images

Thomas Tuchel, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about 41-year-old Luka Modric, who starts against the Three Lions: "It's just unbelievable that he is still out there at this level. He can pull it off in any second of any match. I think he and Mateo Kovacic can play blindfolded but they will still find each other with passes.

"We're about to witness the highest level of midfielders with these two playing. But we're up for it. We were up for it a few months ago (in the 4-2 win over Croatia at the World Cup) and we are up for it now."

John Murray
BBC football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live in Rijeka

Image source, Reuters

This looks like a bit of a shootout at this stage in the group with England and Croatia losing their matches against Spain.

They have both won their matches against the Czech Republic. England and Croatia still have to play at Wembley next month.

I think if England can get out of this match with some points I think they will have the edge in terms of finishing in the top two in the group to get through to the quarter-finals next March.

Frog: There was lots of negative comments about Anthony Gordon when he signed for Barcelona saying he was not good enough. I always thought he was brilliant and now he’s proving the doubters wrong. He’s playing for a big club now, learning from better players than the teams he played for before. Good luck to the lad.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport England reporter at Stadion HNK Rijeka

Image source, Getty Images

Anthony Gordon was one of England's standout players at the World Cup and earned a big-money move to European giants Barcelona in the summer, while his good form has continued into his country's Nations League campaign.

The 25-year-old's England form has been building since the knockout stage of the World Cup began - his run of averaging a goal contribution every 69 minutes started with assisting both Kane's efforts in a 2-1 last-32 victory over DR Congo.

The former Newcastle player has scored three goals and provided three assists in his past six England matches, while he also won the penalty in England's dramatic last-16 victory over Mexico at Azteca Stadium.

And after a positive start in Spain, where he has already picked up five assists in La Liga, Gordon looks to be joining boss Thomas Tuchel's "undroppable" bracket.

Read more: How Gordon became one of England's main men.