England head to Spain in a Nations League fixture that carries little on the line, since both sides are already through to the next stage. Thomas Tuchel has opted for a Konsa and Quansah centre-back pairing, with Dan Burn dropping out, while Ben White comes in at right-back ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The front six that has settled in recent games remains unchanged.

Spain are still without Rodri, but Lamine Yamal returns after resting for the 2-0 win away to Czechia, replacing Yeremy Pino. Pedro Porro, so important at the World Cup, loses his place to Marc Pubill, Aymeric Laporte replaces Dean Huijsen, Mikel Merino comes in for Fermin Lopez, and Mikel Oyarzabal starts at centre-forward instead of Ferran Torres.S1

The match follows England's World Cup semi-final defeat, which the Guardian commentary describes as a failure rooted in England's reluctance to take risks. Spain, by contrast, have built a style that has been hard to beat, from Pep Guardiola's Barcelona to Vicente del Bosque's national team and now Luis de la Fuente's European and World champions. Their control of the ball and their movement leave opponents with a difficult choice between imitating them or playing in a way they are well prepared to neutralise.S1

The contest is less about the result than about whether England can impose themselves on Spain and, the commentary argues, on their own tendencies.S1S2