Slovenia vs. England: Time, Live Stream, Preview for World Cup 2018 Qualifying

England travel to Slovenia on Tuesday hoping to preserve their perfect start to the 2018 World Cup qualification process by beating the hosts in Ljubljana to remain at the summit of UEFA Group F.

Caretaker manager Gareth Southgate tasted victory for the first time in his new role after defeating Malta 2-0 on Saturday, but the former Middlesbrough boss will be seeking some key improvement this time around.

Southgate has reportedly made the decision to drop captain Wayne Rooney from his starting XI in pursuit of those improvements, signalling that change may indeed be on the way for England, per BBC Sport.

Slovenia are third in Group F and are two points behind leaders England despite holding an unbeaten record of their own, having drawn 2-2 away to Lithuania before beating Slovakia 1-0 on Saturday.

Read on as we preview Tuesday's crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier, providing fixture details and all the live-stream information you'll need to watch the action.

Date: Tuesday, October 11

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Stadion Stozice, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), WatchESPN (U.S.)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	England	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3	6
2	Scotland	2	1	1	0	6	2	+4	4
3	Slovenia	2	1	1	0	3	2	+1	4
4	Lithuania	2	0	2	0	3	3	0	2
5	Slovakia	2	0	0	2	0	2	−2	0
6	Malta	2	0	0	2	1	7	−6	0

The Wayne Rooney Equation

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho made the decision to drop veteran Rooney from his XI to good effect recently, and now Southgate is hoping to see the same results, it would seem.

The 30-year-old has had a slow season at Old Trafford as far as his own standards go, and ESPN's John Brewin agreed it was long overdue for the forward to see his England place come under threat:

One of this season's greatest conundrums has been Rooney. Where does he fit in for club and country? Is he a forward or a midfielder? Does Southgate have the answers any more than Mourinho does?

It seems as though nobody has the answers, but Rooney's wife, Colleen, did her best to defend her husband's honour after it emerged on Monday that he might be dropped from the starting side against Slovenia:

The supporters will hope Rooney's absence will lead the way for another star to flourish in a more natural role and for the Three Lions to embrace a formation that can optimise their talents without the United man's burden.

However, should England fail to perform in their captain's absence, it risks reopening the discussion as to whether the team is better off without him at all, although it seems to have done the trick for United.

Three Lions Searching for Their Roar

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

While Southgate will have accepted a 2-0 victory over Malta as a positive way to start his career as a fully fledged international manager, it was hardly the most convincing of displays in retrospect.

Even the former Aston Villa defender himself admitted improvements and fine-tuning are needed in time for Tuesday's meeting in Slovenia, per the Mail On Sunday's Adam Crafton:

"

In the second half, subconsciously, there was a feeling the game was won and we were looking towards Tuesday physically. 

We didn't bomb forward as we might have done had the scoreline been tighter. There's room for improvement, but that's not a bad place for us to be.

We made two positive substitutions. We encouraged the team to keep moving the ball quickly. But I've played in games like that. 

"

Bleacher Report's Jack Lusby praised Jordan Henderson for his man-of-the-match performance, and it could even be the Liverpool man who ends up being Rooney's deputy:

England's attackers were disjointed from the midfield, and Three Lions fans may well have been left asking who the leaders in their squad are, players capable of grabbing others by the scruff of the neck and demanding more.

Slovenia may just be England's greatest threat against taking first place in Group F, and Tuesday's trip is a chance for the team to send out a statement to the rest of their pool that they're not to be trifled with.