Italy vs England LIVE: Nations League result, final score and reaction as Azzurri win to relegate England

England have only lost two of their last 26 matches, both against Hungary in June.

The Three Lions are winless in four matches, however, only scoring once in that time. They last had a longer winless run in June 2014 with one of those five games a 2-1 defeat by Italy at the World Cup.

Nick Pope will become only the second Newcastle United goalkeeper to play for England, after Matthew Kingsley in March 1901 against Wales, who was the first ever Newcastle player to appear for England.

Gareth Southgate says he is willing to stake his “reputation” on Harry Maguire, offering the struggling Manchester United centre-half his full backing as he described him as one of England’s “best” and “most important” players, who can do things in the squad that others can’t. The international manager went so far as to describe Maguire and John Stones “as good as any in world football at” progressing up the pitch with the ball.

Such is the 29-year-old’s standing in the England squad that Southgate said he didn’t feel the need for any additional talks with him, despite being dropped from the United team. The feeling around the England camp was that Maguire would start the game against Italy at the San Siro on Friday night, and he clearly remains one of Southgate’s first-choice centre-halves. That was made pretty clear by his pre-game comments, as the England manager stressed he would be willing to stake his “reputation” on such decisions.

“Whatever reputation I have I’m putting it on there,” Southgate said. “I think, look, you always have to back your judgement and we feel he is an important player.”

On Tuesday evening, Gareth Southgate called the England team together for the first proper meeting since the Hungary humiliation. He didn’t need to say that every minute counts from now on, because all of the players know it.

They’re fully aware things need to be different from June. The England manager, for his part, would prefer a lot of things to be rather different right now.

It is difficult to complain about a trip to Milan in this kind of weather – in the middle of fashion week – but Southgate could really do with 10 days of it, and perhaps more forgiving fixtures. That’s what World Cup preparation camps usually look like as managers try to build the right atmosphere. That’s nevertheless what this represents.

Former England defender Glen Johnson has questioned the wisdom of Gareth Southgate remaining loyal to the likes of Harry Maguire on the eve of a World Cup.

The Manchester United captain, who has been under scrutiny for the last 18 months, is not playing regularly for his club as new manager Erik ten Tag prefers the centre-back partnership of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

Maguire’s club-mate Luke Shaw is also in the England squad despite making just two Premier League starts, one of which saw him hauled off at half-time with the side 4-0 down to Brentford.

Southgate also called up Kalvin Phillips, who had managed just 14 minutes of football since moving to Manchester City in the summer, before he withdrew with the recurrence of a shoulder injury.

Johnson said while loyalty goes a long way, picking those who are not playing regularly can have significant drawbacks in tournament football.

Harry Kane has credited work with a new physio for being in the best condition he has ever been, as he spoke of how a hamstring injury in January 2020 sparked a career-changing re-assessment of his approach. The England captain has not had a major issue since then, despite previously suffering from repeated ankle injuries that had a knock-on effect.

While Kane would not name his new physio, only admitting he is Spanish, he was effusive about the results. The striker said he came across him through an athlete friend, and works with him separately from Tottenham - but that the club obviously know about it.

“I feel great - put it that way. Whether it’s the fittest I’ve been I don’t know but I feel really good.”

A little under an hour until kick-off now and England are in situ at the San Siro for this evening’s clash

England’s Nations League double header against Italy and Germany this month is Gareth Southgate’s final chance to work with his players before selecting his squad for this winter’s World Cup in Qatar.

Southgate’s 28-man selection for the September internationals contained few surprises except a first call-up for Ivan Toney, after the Brentford striker’s excellent start to the new Premier League season.

Time is running out for Toney and others on the fringes of the squad to force their way into Southgate’s thinking, though, with only weeks to go until the tournament.

England will be aiming to go one better than last summer and win their first major international tournament in 56 years in Qatar. Southgate’s side will play Iran, the United States and Wales in Group B and hope to build on the steady progress of recent years.

Here, The Independent takes a look at who could make the final cut...

Italy XI: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Acerbi Bonucci, Toloi; Jorginho, Cristante, Dimarco; Raspadori, Scamacca, Barella

A fascinating England team selection. Nick Pope gets the nod in goal, while Eric Dier and Harry Maguire are among the defenders.

If Gareth Southgate opts for five at the back then Bukayo Saka looks primed to play at LWB, although he could move forward to the three behind Harry Kane if England opt for 4-2-3-1

England XI: Pope; James, Walker, Dier, Maguire, Saka; Rice, Bellingham; Sterling, Kane, Foden