Slovenia vs. England: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream and TV Info
After their scoreless draw with Republic of Ireland last time out, England return to Euro 2016 qualification duties on Sunday, traveling to Ljubljana to face Slovenia.
Roy Hodgson's men beat their opponents 3-1 when they faced each other at Wembley in November, although things could be somewhat more difficult this time out.
Slovenia have won their last four competitive home matches and haven't conceded in that time too.
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Sure, they've faced the likes of San Marino, but it's the 1-0 victory over Switzerland last October that will ensure Hodgson and his coaching staff remain wary of a potential upset.
England top Group E in their attempts to qualify for Euro 2016, and three points from this game will further strengthen their position.
Slovenia are joint-second with the Swiss, six points behind England. At the start of this campaign, England's group looked simple enough to navigate on paper, but with just four games remaining, it would be difficult to imagine the Three Lions throwing away their place in France next summer.
Despite being undefeated since the World Cup, England continue to come in for criticism. They're not exciting in the way many would hope, so this game gives the cliched opportunity for many of Hodgson's players to make a point before they disappear on their summer holidays.
The Ireland game is still fresh in many people's minds, so England must perform with a bit more verve and desire if they are to fend off more negativity.
That said, a boring game and three points for Hodgson will put a smile on the manager's face regardless.
Date: Sunday, June 14
Time: 5 p.m. BST / noon ET
Venue: Stozice Stadium, Ljubljana
TV Info: ITV1 (UK only)
Live Stream: ITV Player
Team News
England will welcome back Fabian Delph to the squad after he recovered from the injury he picked up in the FA Cup final for Aston Villa. He missed out in Dublin but has since declared himself available for selection, bolstering Hodgson's options.
Jamie Vardy made his debut against Ireland, so he will be hoping for more game time, as will Charlie Austin, who was an unused substitute during that match in Dublin.
Last 5 Games
| October 9 | Slovenia 1-0 Switzerland |
| October 12 | Lithuania 0-2 Slovenia |
| November 15 | England 3-1 Slovenia |
| November 18 | Slovenia 0-1 Colombia |
| March 27 | Slovenia 6-0 San Marino |
| November 15 | England 3-1 Slovenia |
| November 18 | Scotland 1-3 England |
| March 27 | England 4-0 Lithuania |
| March 31 | Italy 1-1 England |
| June 7 | Republic of Ireland 0-0 England |
Players to Watch
Bostjan Cesar
Chievo defender Bostjan Cesar has been speaking big this week, explaining that his team-mates feel confident ahead of their game against England.
England have beaten Slovenia in all three of their previous outings, but Cesar isn't expecting that to play a part on Sunday.
"Sunday is a new game. This is what was. And we are professionals. We have to prepare well for this match—we know what awaits us," he said, per Sky Sports.
"We know that they are the favourite in the group. They have a lot of good players, players with extra class. We need to look collectively and try to stop it all."
Expect him to be a big figure for Slovenia.
With seven goals in his last eight games for England, Wayne Rooney is enjoying a purple patch for his country.
So much so that a hat-trick against Slovenia on Sunday will see him become England's all-time record goalscorer.
Rooney currently has 47 goals, one behind Gary Lineker and two behind current record-holder Sir Bobby Charlton.
For all the flak that comes his way, Rooney likes the big moment. Sensing a little bit of history on the horizon, don't bet against him grabbing the headlines in Ljubljana.
Prediction
Slovenia 0-3 England
Odds
Home win: 19-5
Away win: 10-11
Draw: 13-5
First goalscorer: Theo Walcott 6-1
*Odds via Oddschecker
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