England will look to recover from their setback against Spain when they travel to Prague to face the Czech Republic in their second Nations League Group A3 fixture, with kick-off set for 7.45pm BST on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Fortuna Arena.
The Czech Republic head into the match sitting bottom of the group after their opening game, a home defeat to Croatia that leaves them level on points with England's rivals but behind on goal difference. There was some encouragement for the hosts despite the loss, as they managed to find the net through Adam Karabec, who cancelled out Croatia's opener before later being forced off with an injury. That knock now leaves Karabec a doubt for the visit of England, with the Czechs already having to cope without the injured Tomas Soucek in midfield.
Manager changes are expected in the home side's lineup as a result. Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek is set to be preferred between the posts ahead of Tottenham's Antonin Kinsky, while former West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal is expected to captain the team in Prague.
For England, this fixture arrives at a good time following a narrow but frustrating loss to world champions Spain, in which Thomas Tuchel's side had spells of control but were undone by individual errors and clinical finishing from their opponents. Facing a Czech side that is missing key personnel and searching for confidence gives England an opportunity to respond quickly and keep pace with the group's leading nations.
Tuchel is reportedly considering only minor changes to his setup, with the possibility that he keeps faith in the same midfield and attacking trio that started the Wembley defeat. Injuries have limited his rotation options in defence and midfield, but England still possess considerable strength in attack, headlined by captain Harry Kane, who will be looking to add to his goal tally against a nation he has faced before in dramatic circumstances.
History between the two sides is heavily in England's favor. Of the five previous meetings, England have won three, Czechia one, and one has ended in a draw. The solitary Czech victory came in October 2019, during Euro 2020 qualifying, when Kane's early penalty was cancelled out by Jakub Brabec before Zdenek Ondrasek struck a dramatic winner in the 85th minute — a result that remains one of the more memorable upsets for the Czechs against English opposition.
Despite that history, expectations are firmly on England to deliver a convincing performance this time, particularly given the absentees and defensive uncertainty in the Czech ranks. With Kane leading the line and a squad boasting significant attacking depth, England will be targeting a routine win to reset momentum in the group standings.
This will be the first of two encounters between the sides during the extended international break, with the reverse fixture scheduled to take place in England on October 6. For UK viewers, Tuesday's match will be broadcast live and free on ITV1, with coverage starting at 7pm BST ahead of kick-off, and also available to stream via the ITVX platform.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport (standard-football).