England v USA match preview: Odds, Gareth Southgate, Wayne Rooney, the opposition and more
Wayne Rooney will wear the number 10 shirt on his England swansong - with manager Gareth Southgate certain the country's record goalscorer will receive the respect he deserves.
Thursday's friendly against the United States will see Rooney's Three Lions career celebrated, with the 33-year-old also set to be given a guard of honour and wear the captain's armband on what is sure to be an emotional night at Wembley.
Rooney will make a late substitute appearance in a match named in honour his foundation, with the Football Association's decision to toast the former captain's achievements splitting opinion.
While Southgate had confirmed Rooney would not start the game, none of the other special touches had been revealed until he spoke on the eve of the fixture, having first consulted with the rest of his squad.
"We have spoken with the players," Southgate said.
"I didn't want to make those decisions last week - the players are very keen that Wayne wears the number 10.
"We believe that is a fitting tribute - I think that we have spoken a lot as a group about doing things our own way over the last two years, we did that right through the summer.
"All of our group have huge respect for Wayne and they feel that it is fitting his last game should be his number 10 and when he puts that shirt on his wall somewhere at the end of his career, it is going to be a special night and the 10 is the number he has there."
We look ahead to Thursday's game...
Odds (via Sky Bet)
England - 1/3 | Draw - 19/5 | USA - 9/1
- England to win 2-0 - Price Boosted to 11/2
- Jadon Sancho to score first - now at 7/1
Double Up Boost ⬇️
- Wayne Rooney to score last v USA - was 4/1, NOW 8/1
Team news
England
Manchester City's Fabian Delph will captain England in what is expected to be a much-changed and experimental side ahead of Sunday's crunch Nations League meeting with Croatia.
Joe Gomez is set to miss out with that match in mind and Luke Shaw is a doubt.
USA
Wigan's Antonee Robinson is out with an ankle injury that is likely to sideline the defender for four weeks.
The 21-year-old, who is on loan from Everton, will return to the Latics after Thursday's match at Wembley.
Robinson suffered an ankle sprain during Tuesday's training session and US Soccer expects him to be out for "approximately four weeks".
Talking points
The long goodbye
Rooney will bring down the curtain on his record-breaking international career with an honorary appearance which has been months in the making.
The Football Association had planned to give the former Three Lions captain a final farewell in the lead-up to the World Cup, but manager Gareth Southgate revealed last week that Rooney did not want to impede on preparations for the finals.
Instead he will make a substitute appearance in Thursday's match to mark his time with England and raise awareness of the Wayne Rooney Foundation.
As one door closes...
With England facing a crunch Nations League meeting with Croatia just three days on from this friendly fixture, Southgate has already hinted he will mix things up.
This may be Rooney's swansong but squad newcomer Callum Wilson could be handed his debut against the United States, while promising teenager Jadon Sancho is in line for his first senior start.
The likes of Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and Lewis Dunk of Brighton could also come in for their international bows as Southgate offers up opportunities to impress.
US manager's position in a state
The United States missed out on their first World Cup finals appearance since 1986 after a shock defeat at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago last October.
Head coach Bruce Arena lost his job as a result, with the United States Soccer Federation acting swiftly following the disappointment.
David Sarachan, one of Arena's assistants, was appointed as interim coach and took charge of his first game a year ago.
While the 64-year-old saw his temporary role extended to the end of the year in June, he does remain a stop-gap for the USSF - who have come in for criticism after failing to find a long-term replacement.
Ups and downs
While most of Wembley will be trained on the England bench waiting to see when Rooney will be introduced, a few will have a keen eye on a game played over 800 miles away.
Spain travel to Zagreb to take on Croatia in a Nations League fixture which will have a direct impact on England's own hopes in the competition.
Spain will seal a place in the finals if they win against Croatia. Should they slip up, England can win the group with victory over the same opponents on Sunday. Croatia must win both games to win the group, which would relegate England.
USA in focus
A look at the visitors...
Background
Despite the competition it has faced from American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey to establish itself in the affections of sports fans at home, football has a lengthy history in the United States.
The national team finished third at the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 and caused a huge upset at the finals 20 years later when they defeated England at Belo Horizonte. However, they missed out on qualification for the World Cup finals in Russia - the first time they have not made the tournament since 1986.
Last month the USA suffered a 4-2 loss to Colombia before drawing 1-1 Peru, having beaten Mexico and lost to Brazil in September.
Manager
The United States have not had a permanent manager since Bruce Arena left the post in the wake of their failed bid to reach the World Cup in October 2017.
Former Manchester United, Everton and West Ham boss David Moyes was linked with a post that Columbus Crew boss Gregg Berhalter looks set to take.
For now, Arena's former assistant Dave Sarachan remains as acting head coach. The 64-year-old has spent much of a career, which has included spells with DC United, Chicago Fire and LA Galaxy, working with Arena.
Players
Christian Pulisic is the standout star in the United States' 26-man squad, having flourished in the Bundesliga in the same Borussia Dortmund side as England's Jadon Sancho.
Paris St Germain attacker Tim Weah, son of former FIFA World Player of the Year and current Liberia president George Weah, is an eye-catching inclusion, so too Jurgen Klinsmann's son Jonathan, a goalkeeper at Hertha Berlin that has received his first senior call-up.
England-born Cameron Carter-Vickers, on loan at Swansea from Tottenham, is in the squad along with flying Newcastle full-back DeAndre Yedlin. Matt Miazga, who is on loan from Chelsea at Nantes, is another member of Sarachan's group.
What Sarachan said
Asked what he thought of the move to include Rooney and pay tribute to his career, the interim coach replied: "If he scores against us tomorrow I won't be happy about the decision!
"I have thought about it because I know it has caused controversy. My feeling on that is maybe a little different.
"I think a player like Wayne Rooney who had such a terrific international career, in the league but in terms of his national team, to have an opportunity to reward him for that as a federation, I kind of applaud that.
"I don't think it devalues the game. I would think different if Wayne had retired from football three years ago and they said, 'Hey, why don't you just jump in', but he is coming off the back of a very impactful season in the States.
"He is fit, I'm sure he will not be out of place, he is in good form. Given all of that, I think when you have the opportunity to reward a player like that - I don't think that is a bad thing at all."
Sancho praised by USA star
Pulisic, who will be on the opposing team to his club mate in the London friendly, has backed Sancho for a bright future.
"The sky is the limit for a guy like that, he's got so much talent and he's a great young player," Pulisic told Sky Sports.
"We've talked about playing against each other possibly - it would be a lot of fun because obviously we are in training and competing every day and it's cool to see a guy like that."
Sancho arrived in Germany from Manchester City in 2017 in search of more first-team football. He has registered five goals and eight assists for Dortmund this season.
Pulisic, who also moved to the Bundesliga as a teenager, added: "Sometimes you have to take a risk if you want great things to happen.
"I had to do the same thing moving to Germany. I'm really happy for him that things are working out and just want him to continue to push and continue to get better."
Odds correct as of 1045 GMT on 15/11/18
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