England v Lithuania: Team news, predictions & odds

The game kicks off at 1700 GMT at Wembley, live on ITV 1 HD.  

England v Lithuania: Our prediction

Click here for David John's betting preview   

England v Lithuania: Manager quotes

Gareth Southgate (England)

On Joe Hart being named as captain: "Joe is our most-capped international and showed maturity since last summer's (European Championship) disappointment."

On Lithuania: "We'll have to pay attention to their wide players. They're good in counter-attack and against Scotland scored with some good interplay with their front players.

"We'll have to make sure our attention is correct on set-plays. They'll be the key areas for us.

"We want to play with a good tempo and press with a good tempo but also have calmness. Against Germany I thought we played with controlled aggression without the ball...sometimes just having that calmness in the opposite half of the pitch is a good reminder for us.

"It's important to make good decisions and we are capable of doing that. There's no need to rush those things if we haven't scored in the first 25-30 minutes.

"We need to make sure we make good chances rather than shots we don't need to take on, move the ball quickly but in a controlled manner."  

On Ben Gibson: "There is a chance he will start, it wouldn't be a gamble to pick anyone in the squad.

"That's why they're here. He's a player we've worked with with the Under-21s and we know his personality and character.

"When you bring someone in late, it's important you know what's coming through the door. He's had a very good season with Middlesbrough.

"There are one or two others on our radar in that position, but we know him well and know what we're going to get." 

On Jermain Defoe: "He's always had the ability to finish but he's in a very good condition.

"He's aware of his diet and prepares correctly so he's got great experience to pass on to the group - and that's been evident on and off the pitch this week." 

On Dele Alli and Adam Lallana: "I think Dele and Adam - and Jesse (Lingard) as well - are fantastic at finding space between that line, between the midfield and defence of the opposition.

"But they are also brilliant at sensing the right moments to press and win the ball.

"I think in the past maybe creative players haven't always had the work ethic those two have. You know, they cover a phenomenal amount of distance and that allows you to get pressure on the opposition.

"It is not as if we are carrying those creative players. They put in as much as work as everybody else. I think it is very exciting for what we can do moving forwards." 

On the three-man defence picked against Germany: "We had to be a bit creative in how we did it.

"We couldn't train on the field too many times but we were able to walk through certain things. We were able to have meetings and work through things on tactic boards and discuss things, and get the players' experiences from their clubs.

"It wasn't an alien system in terms of several of the players were playing in it and I felt it suited others that aren't.

"Michael Keane, who I thought had an excellent debut, has played in the under-21s for us at full-back and centre-back, so the system was going to suit him, no problem.

"Central midfield players it is the same and I think it is a perfect system for the likes of Lallana and Alli, who are both very, very intelligent players, and it allowed us to press high up the pitch.

"I have seen Germany pin teams back and you end up with six at the back with the system we played in the past.

"I didn't want to sit there and take pressure all night. We wanted to be on the front foot in the way that we pressed and that system allowed us to do that.

"Again, the intelligence in the way we pressed, particularly the front three, created the good chances we had." 

Edgaras Jankauskas (Lithuania)

On an obvious source of inspiration: "Iceland would be a great example to follow.

"It's the example to follow but it will be an extremely tough game for us."

On Wembley: "First of all it's a privilege to play at such a legendary stadium and probably one of the best stadiums in the world."

On dreaming big: "There are always chances and chances depend on us, (there are) many examples where not necessarily the favourites win the game.

"We are a humble team but we have our game plan and we'll stick to that."

On England: "We'll think more about our game than the opponent, we know we play against top, top players, representing the best league in the world.

"It's a great test for us where we have to be collective, tactically and mentally strong to deny that quality.

"It's going to be very difficult, we know that, but it's a great test for us.

"It's a great experience to test ourselves, how far can we go, push ourselves above the limit.

"Because to match those players, our opponents, we have to do much more than we are used to. And that's going to be a great test for us all."

England v Lithuania: Opta facts

England haven’t lost a qualification match since October 2009 (away at Ukraine), going 33 qualifiers without a defeat since then across World Cup and European Championship qualification campaigns (W25 D8 L0). 

The Three Lions have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six competitive matches. 

Just one of England’s last 16 matches at home (14 at Wembley) have ended in a defeat; winning 14 and drawing one. This defeat was against Netherlands; 1-2 in March 2016. 

England have scored in every single one of these aforementioned 16 home matches and haven’t failed to score at home since losing 0-1 to Germany in November 2013. 

England defeated Lithuania twice in qualification for Euro 2016; winning 4-0 at home and 3-0 away with all seven goals being netted by different players. 

Going into this matchday, England are one of two sides yet to concede in European World Cup qualification, along with Germany. 

Fiodor Cernych has scored in three of Lithuania’s qualification matches for the 2018 World Cup to date – all of them have been the first goal of the game. 

Lithuania haven’t won any of their last six away qualification matches (WC and Euro combined), losing four and drawing two. 

The Lithuanians have conceded a goal in the final five minutes in three of their four 2018 World Cup qualifiers to date – two of which have seen them draw a game that they were leading. 

England have only allowed their opponents six shots on target in their four 2018 World Cup Qualifiers so far, while they have attempted 21 themselves.  

England v Lithuania: Team news

Chris Smalling has been forced out of the England squad through injury, leading Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson to receive his first call-up.

Gareth Southgate was already facing a defensive headache for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Lithuania as Gary Cahill, the skipper in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat in Germany, was suspended and Phil Jones withdrew through injury on the eve of the friendly.

The Manchester United defender sustained a toe injury in what appeared to be a training ground duel with team-mate Smalling, who on Friday left the squad with fitness problems of his own.

The centre-back has returned to Manchester for treatment on the unspecified issue, with Southgate turning to uncapped Middlesbrough defender Gibson. 

England v Lithuania: Sky Bet odds 

England played well in their 1-0 midweek friendly defeat in Germany but they are very strong 1/8 favourites with Sky Bet for victory at Wembley over Lithuania to boost their prospects in top spot in Group F. The visitors sit third bottom of the group currently and can be backed at 22/1 for three points here while a draw is trading at 7/1. Back-to-form Jamie Vardy heads the betting at 5/2 to be first goalscorer with Jermain Defoe and Marcus Rashford both 11/4 chances.       

Click for Sky Bet's England v Lithuania odds!

England v Lithuania: Latest stories

Gareth Southgate offers Wayne Rooney hope
Joe Hart confirmed as captain
Joe Hart: Good to try new things
Eric Dier calls for fans to show respect
Dier warning for England
Ben Gibson gets England call
Eddie Jones watches England train
Gareth Southgate on England captaincy
Gareth Southgate backs Dele Alli and Adam Lallana