England vs Romania: All the action, as it happened

Team news

The big news is that Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson could well be in line for a return to playing, after nearly four months sidelined with a groin injury and subsequent surgery. 

“The last two, three days training have been a lot more positive for him,” Gareth Southgate said recently. “He's been visibly happier within himself and that's a positive sign.” 

Bukayo Saka, however, will miss this one through a hip injury. It’s thought not to be too serious as to keep him out of Euro 2020, which begins in five days’ time. Saka may be an outsider to start a match at the tournament but his star showing and goal against Austria last time out has certainly given Southgate selection decisions. 

A lot of the focus this week has been around the reaction that England players received when they took a knee before the friendly against Austria.

England manager Gareth Southgate has stressed that the players will continue to take a knee in the fight against racial injustice despite the reaction from fans - but that his players would not be taking questions about taking the knee during the tournament. 

“Those people [who boo] should put themselves in the shoes of the young players,” he said, “How would they feel if their kids were in that situation?”

"We accept there might be an adverse reaction, and we're just going to ignore that and move forward."

England's line-up

It's an inexperienced side for England this evening, as expected. We reckon we're in for a back four. Your England side tonight...

Johnstone; Godfrey, White, Mings, Shaw; Phillips, Ward-Prowse; Sancho, Grealish, Rashford; Calvert-Lewin

Romania's line-up

Nita; Sorescu, Nedelcearu, Chiriches, Camora; Stanciu, Marin, Cicaldau; Ivan, Alibec, Paun

Captain for tonight? Marcus Rashford. The Manchester United no.10 takes the armband for the first time and it's a symbolic choice, given Southgate's comments this week about the players knowing that they have a voice. 

Marcus Rashford is actually Gareth Southgate's most-played player since taking over the England job in 2016 - along with Harry Kane.

The big news with this selection? Three debutants. 

Ben Godfrey and Ben White both make their first appearance for their country today - Sam Johnstone between the sticks does too, though only Johnstone will go to Euro 2020 as things stand as a member of the 26-man squad. 

“Some of [the players] have 10 caps or more at a young age,” Southgate has said of this group of players. “In the long term that will be really beneficial.”

The average age of England’s Euro 2020 squad - minus the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold - is 25 years old. Of those players, Southgate has picked two teenagers, in Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka. 

Saka, Bellingham, Luke Shaw, Jack Grealish, Dean Henderson, Kalvin Phillips, Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Phil Foden, Sam Johnstone and Reece James are the only members of the side with fewer than 10 England caps.

Odds

Latest odds from Bet365 where new customers can get up to £100 in Bet Credits

England: 2/7
Draw: 9/2
Romania: 9/1
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Has Rashford had too much football this season? What do you think?

Here's a throwback for you...

If you’re wondering about England’s record against Romania in the past - and why wouldn’t you be? - The Three Lions actually don’t have a great history. Romania have three wins to England’s two, the other six games being draws.

This is the first time that these two countries have played each other since Euro 2000. On that evening, Romania came from behind to beat England 3-2 in Charleroi.

Urs Meier was the referee that day - and he’s in the brand new issue of FourFourTwo talking about the death threats he received after decisions he made in the England vs Portugal game of Euro 2004… 

Order the new issue with free delivery here – just select 'Summer 2021' from the dropdown. 

"We have players that need minutes and players who definitely don't need minutes," says Gareth Southgate of tonight, confirming that both Godfrey and White could play their way into the 26-man squad.

So Trent Alexander-Arnold won't be going to the Euros - but he gets into our right-back XI.

Any changes you'd make?

A lot of talk about the front four for England, today.

Calvert-Lewin starts as England's no.9 with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford either side. Jack Grealish starts through the middle. 

Could we expect to see Rashford pushing on to form a 4-4-2, though? With Grealish wanting to drift out left and Rashford keen to cut in on his right foot, we might see more of a natural front two from England today - at least out of possession. 

KICK-OFF! The match begins England playing from left to right. A lot of fans booed the England players taking a knee - a big number gave the players a round of applause, though.

1 min: It's a Mings mistake, as the Aston Villa defender doesn't notice a pass back to him. Romania now have a corner.

4 min: Some steady possession now for the Three Lions. White and Mings are seeing plenty of the ball with Ward-Prowse and Phillips dropping in to help recycle possession.

Incredibly, this is just Luke Shaw's 10th cap - and he played at the 2014 World Cup, which seems a lifetime ago.

Good to see the Manchester United full-back enjoy a great season injury-free. He looks like he'll be the starter against Croatia next week.

7 min: Shaw charges forward, Phillips takes a potshot from 30 yards. It's the kind of chance that would get him a starting berth next week had it not gone high and horribly wide. 

8 min: Was that a handball from Vlad Chiriches? Rashford and Grealish combine, a cutback slides into the box and the defender blocks it. No penalty. 

9 min: Johnstone saves his first shot as an England goalkeeper. Romania shouldn't have been given the space, really, but good for he keeper to get gloves on the ball early on. 

10 min: Jack Grealish fouled by Chiriches. We're just going to write that the once and assume it's a regular feature of the next 80 minutes. 

11 min: Sancho's just blasted the ball over, too. A reminder that there's no VAR tonight. The beast rears its head for the tournament come Friday.

12 min: Ward-Prowse takes a corner which is cleared out. JWP poses an interesting question though - with one expert set-piece deliverer sidelined in Trent Alexander-Arnold, could Ward-Prowse step up to Trent's role?

And what is it with double-barrelled-surnamed right-footers being so good from dead balls?

15 min: Godfrey clears an opportunity for England. Here's another point - the Everton defender is acting as a right-back today but he should be able to show enough to Southgate to give himself a chance to get into the squad as a centre-back. 

Both him and Ben White will be keen to prove they can handle the pressure in an international backline.  

21 min: The game's settled into a predictable pattern. England are passing the ball around nicely, with the forwards looking to move in and dictate play in the final third.

Are England missing an opportunity by not going with a stronger side today?

22 min: Godfrey gets into the box and blasts a ball over. Would have been a hell of a debut goal for the defender. 

23 min: Rashford goes down in the box. The England captain seems adamant that Chiriches didn't touch the ball when he clattered into him - it seems as though the referee got it right, though. 

Who to pick up front might just be the hardest question we have this tournament. England have gone from a front two of Sterling and Kane at World Cup 2018, to any three or four of a number of top class forwards. Good problems to have of course...

28 min: Jadon Sancho's been the star man so far. The Borussia Dortmund winger has been at the centre of everything good that England have done but just hasn't had the luck of the green. 

29 min: Easy save for Johnstone, as Romania have another chance, this time outside the box, drilled low. 

30 min: Grealish loses his temper over a third silly thump from Nedelcearu. Step up JWP...

31 min: The resulting free-kick is whipped onto Dominic Calvert-Lewin's head. The Everton striker thwacks it against the crossbar. As close as anyone's come and a reminder of how much Southgate's side rely on those set-piece deliveries. 

36 min: England seem to be moving towards the halfway line before going back. Finally, Johnstone kicks long. The Three Lions' build-up is pretty slow at the moment.

GOAL FOR SCOTLAND The Tartan Army go one up against the Luxembourg. It's Che Adams. 

37 min: CHANCE! Jadon Sancho is the second man in a blue shirt to rattle the crossbar - a beautiful effort, too. England are getting closer.

39 min: Pitch invader. We got none of that in lockdown football, did we?

40 min: Lots of possession from the English today but very few vertical passes. It's slow and steady for Southgate's men today.

43 min: A blistering Romania move ends in Sam Johnstone saving with his feet. England were cut open on their lefthand side. 

HALF-TIME: ENGLAND 0-0 ROMANIA 

Like a budget stag do, the English have done little other than bother the Romanian bar, so far. 

Southgate's side look particularly unbalanced, too. Sancho is drifting inside centrally to pick up possession, while Grealish, Shaw and Rashford have linked up nicely in the lefthand channel. Godfrey isn't a natural right-back and isn't offering too much in terms of overlap on the other side. 

One positive is that we've seen some Ward-Prowess from set-pieces (apologies for that one).

Quiz!

Can you name the top fives and last fives for England?

Test yourself over half-time on how well you know the Three Lions with our quiz. We've got 12 categories with five answers each - can you score 60/60 in the 10 allotted minutes?  

It seems like you lot aren't too confident - and you weren't even before this game started... 

SUBSTITUTION! It's Jordan Henderson's first appearance on the pitch since February 20. The Liverpool skipper is on for Kalvin Phillips.

KICK-OFF! We're off again. 

45 min: Jack Grealish has won another free-kick after being pulled back and once once again, Ward-Prowse has a massive opportunity to show his worth. 

46 min: CHANCE! Ben Godfrey got a toe to it, five yards out. Not enough to send it past the keeper but a beautiful ball from JWP, once again. 

47 min: With all the talk of that 26th place in the squad, it needs to be said that both Bens, Godfrey and White, have done everything asked of them so far today. Excellent in possession, calm and composed. Solid debuts for both. 

Positivity, lads. Come on.

52 min: CHANCE! Captain Rashford misses a header. Sorescu has a hit outside the area and it whistles wide. A let-off for England. 

53 min: CHANCE! Cicaldeau has just had another chance on Johnstone's goal. England have been sliced apart like a knife through butter this afternoon... 

55 min: Grealish plays it into Rashford, who tries to dribble the ball into the net. Not to be. 

57 min: YELLOW! Ivan is booked for a tug on Shaw, just outside of the area. It was lovely link-up play between Shaw and Rashford and now England have a big opportunity to break the deadlock with another whipped ball in. 

58 min: CHANCE! Ward-Prowse goes for goal. It's on target but straight at the goalkeeper. 

60 min: CHANCE! Marcus Rashford goes on a charge from the halfway line and when he breaks, he can really shift through the gears. With no inroads to cut inside on his right though, the captain took the shot on his left foot and saw it roll the wrong side of the post. 

Rice and Bellingham are warming up.

65 min: SUBSTITUTION! Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice take to the field. James Ward-Prowse and Jadon Sancho are withdrawn. 

65 min: Ianis Hagi is on for Denis Alibec, while Deian Sorescu is off for Tiberiu Capusa. 

66 min: PENALTY! It's Jack Grealish getting wrong-side of the defender and Marcus Rashford steps up with the ball for England. 

67 min: GOAL! It's calmly slotted into the corner from Marcus Rashford, for his 12th England goal. ENGLAND 1-0 ROMANIA

68 min: "You're not singing anymore," comes the England fans' chants. It's not clear how loud the Romanians were singing before the goal but nice to hear some England fans happy with that goal. 

69 min: CHANCE! Rashford involved again, drifting out to the right to drill in a low cross. It reaches the keeper's arms before Calvert-Lewin's sprawling legs, however.

70 min: It looks like a 4-3-3 from England now. Rashford is out right - which is where he might have to play when Kane and Sterling come into the side. Grealish is on the left with Bellingham and Henderson either side of Declan Rice. 

73 min: CHANCE! Ivan forces Johnstone into a fantastic low stop. Gordon Banks, eat your heart out. 

74 minutes: SUBSTITUTION! Kieran Trippier and Jesse Lingard are on for England. Shaw and Rashford leave the field. 

Ward-Prowse had a good showing today - but is it enough to get into the final squad? 

76 min: Ouch... Vlad Chiriches slides in on Jack Grealish and clatters him on the head with an outstretched boot. It looked dangerous and in the cold light of VAR-regulated football, it could well be a red. 

77 min: PENALTY! That man again. Chiriches is not enjoying his return to England. He clattered into Calvert-Lewin and gave away another foul in the box.

77 min: MISS! Jordan Henderson misses the penalty, blasting it into the keeper's grasp. Henderson was the missee when England won their shootout against Colombia in 2018 remember... no one give Jord the ball if it comes to spot-kicks this summer. 

79 min: SUBSTITUTION! Alexandrus Paun and Cicaldau are off for Romania. Another Alexandru, Baluta, is on, along with Constantin Budescu.

81 min: SUBSTITUTION! Another substitute comes on who probably won't be at the tournament in a week's time. Watkins comes on for DCL. 

82 min: CHANCE! Jude Bellingham has a header about four yards out, only for Chiriches to touch it over the bar acrobatically. How did that not go in?

82 min: CHANCE! A Trippier corner meets Mings's head six yards out but loops over the bar. Ward-Prowse isn't the only set-piece specialist at Gareth's disposal...

83 min: SUBSTITUTION! Romania make their last change. Ionut Nedelcearu is off, replaced by Adrian Rus. 

84 min: Lingard is still giving it his all to get into this 26-man squad. He's driving at Romania and England have another corner, courtesy of a Grealish cross that was cleared out.

85 min: CHANCE! Godfrey got a header on the corner, to flick the ball onto Watkins. Just wide. 

86 min: CHANCE! Ivan very nearly gets a touch on a Romania cross. Johnstone clings onto the ball.

Another quiet but sturdy cameo from Jude Bellingham. Is he too young to play instead of Henderson, should the Liverpool man not have reached peak fitness by next week? Or should England go for someone more experienced?

89 min: Free-kick to Romania just outside the area. Ben White left the ball to Sam Johnstone when a cross came in. The ball was cleared, only for Bellingham to make the foul. Nervy defending indeed. 

90 min: The free-kick hits the wall. Three minutes have been added on. 

FULL-TIME England win 1-0. Two games, two goals and two clean sheets for the Three Lions in a fairly uneventful 90 minutes in Middlesbrough.