Molineux ready for memorable week...but threat of an anti-climax as England pay price

For all the excitement and for all the plaudits which should be directed Wolves’ way for securing their first senior Three Lions international since 1956, having it played behind closed doors undoubtedly knocks off a chunk of the gloss.

None of that, of course, is the fault of Wolves. Those to blame are the ones who wreaked havoc at Wembley before, during and after last summer’s European Championship final, to the extent Uefa had little choice but to order the next meeting between England and Italy must be played to empty stands, bar the 3,000-or-so schoolchildren-plus-chaperones who are permitted entry.

Knowing Molineux will be packed to the rafters just 72 hours later for the visit of Hungary considerably lessens the blow. Yet it won’t prevent tonight’s match from being one of those eerie, echo-filled occasions we hoped had been consigned to history.

England boss Gareth Southgate has spoken extensively about the trouble which marred last year’s final and yesterday sounded the tone of a man ready to move on, when asked if tonight’s spectacle would be an embarrassing moment for the national game.

“If it is an embarrassment then it is for England as a country, really,” he said. “A lot of the people who caused the problems (last year), I am not certain were football fans.

“I think we have spoken enough about it. We spoke after the final about it when the punishment was first given.

“What I must say is the vast majority of our fans who travelled to Germany behaved themselves brilliantly. They enjoyed the game and the performance. A big thank you to them because maybe people were expecting something different. It seems there were a huge majority who were a great credit.”

Harry Kane’s late penalty in Munich, which salvaged a 1-1 draw, prevented England from opening their Nations League campaign with two straight defeats.

Though the importance of winning the competition is clearly secondary compared to preparing for this winter’s World Cup, Southgate heads into tonight’s match ideally needing a positive result after a pair of underwhelming performances so far.

Whether Kane will start is questionable. The England skipper needs just four more goals to surpass Wayne Rooney as the national team’s all-time top scorer but having played a full 90 minutes against both Hungary and Germany, the smart money is on him being rested in favour of Tammy Abraham.

Southgate certainly sounded the tone of a manager ready to ring the chances. Midfielder James Ward-Prowse is expected to start having sat alongside the manager for yesterday’s pre-match media duties, while Jack Grealish should also get the nod following his impressive cameo off the bench in Munich.

“We have to think about some things we want to see and the freshness of the team as well,” said Southgate. “I think this is a good game for some of the other players to come into. It is a top-level game and it is a good sign to trust the players going into these games.

“If you only use players in certain types of match then you don’t find out enough about them and they don’t find out the tactical challenges. For us it is always a balance of knowing we have to win matches but also making sure we find out about the players and give them good experiences.

“We could get 90 minutes out of any of the squad. Whether we do that is another matter. All of the players are in good condition.”