‘If it’s an embarrassment, it is for England’ – Gareth Southgate on playing Italy behind closed doors

England manager Gareth Southgate says it’s an embarrassment for England to play their UEFA Nations League match against Italy behind closed doors.

The Three Lions face Italy at Molineux on Saturday in a match that will be shown without paying fans, as The FA was given a two-match ban, one suspended, after the crowd trouble which marred the Euro 2020 final at Wembley last year.

However, a total of 3,000 children under the age of 14 who have been granted free admission will be able to watch the game under UEFA rules – with the game coming four days after a trip to Germany, with Southgate praising those fans who travelled.

“Well, if it’s an embarrassment, it is for England for a country,” Southgate said in his pre-match press conference.

“You know I am not certain they were football fans, but I think we’ve spoken enough about it.

“We spoke about it after the final. We spoke about it when the punishment was first given. What I must say is that the vast majority of our fans that travelled to Germany behaved themselves brilliantly.

“I think enjoyed the game and the performance. So, a big thank you to them because I think maybe people were expecting something different, and it seems that a huge majority were a big credit.”

Southgate’s side have made an underwhelming start to their Nations League campaign with just the one point from their first two games played.

A lacklustre performance in a 1-0 defeat at Hungary was followed up with an improved display in Munich, as Harry Kane’s penalty rescued a point in a 1-1 draw with Germany.

Those two results leave England at the bottom of Group A3 ahead of a match with the table-topping Italians in the West Midlands this weekend.

Southgate is expected to make a number of changes from the stalemate in Bavaria, with Kalvin Phillips and Phil Foden the two main doubts. The Leeds midfielder left the pitch in Munich with a dead leg, while Foden is recovering from coronavirus.

“There is nobody [in the squad] we can’t use,” added Southgate. “We have got to think about some things we have got to see, the freshness of the team as well. I think this is a good game for some of the other players to come into.

“It is a top-level game and is a good sign to show trust towards the players going into these games.

“I think if we only give players certain types of matches, you don’t find out enough about them and they don’t find out enough about the tactical challenge.”

After Saturday’s showdown with the Azzurri, England complete their hectic June schedule with a match against Hungary at Wembley on Tuesday.