England will be without Manchester City defender Nico O’Reilly when they take on Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday, October 3, with the Three Lions looking to build on their recent victory over Czechia.

O’Reilly has returned to Manchester City after withdrawing from England’s camp because of an injury. His absence means he will miss the Croatia game at Stadion HNK Rijeka as well as England’s next Nations League fixture against Czechia at Wembley on Tuesday.

The defender’s departure adds to the selection issues facing manager Thomas Tuchel, who is already without several options in the defensive areas. England’s official fixture information confirms that the Croatia meeting is the third match of their League A Group A3 campaign.

England enter the encounter with three points from their opening two matches. They began the campaign with a 3-2 home defeat to Spain before responding with a 2-0 victory away to Czechia. Croatia also have three points, having defeated Czechia 2-1 before suffering a 4-1 loss to Spain.

Despite the defensive absences, England have attacking players in good form. UEFA notes that captain Harry Kane and Anthony Gordon have scored in each of England’s opening two Nations League matches, making them important figures as the team heads into the difficult away fixture.

Kane will once again captain the side, with England hoping his goalscoring form can make the difference against a Croatia team determined to respond after its heavy defeat to Spain.

Tuchel acknowledged the challenge awaiting his team in Rijeka, describing Croatia as a major football nation with considerable quality.

The England manager also provided an update on his defensive options, confirming that Ezri Konsa had returned to full training. He indicated that Marc Guehi was also expected to be available, while O’Reilly had already left the camp.

England have experienced further uncertainty at right-back, with Reece James, Djed Spence and Ben White unavailable, while Tino Livramento also withdrew from the squad through injury. O’Reilly’s departure therefore further reduces Tuchel’s options in the defensive department.

Croatia, meanwhile, will be looking to produce a much-improved display after their 4-1 defeat against Spain. Coach Slaven Bilić has stressed the need for his players to remain compact without the ball while showing confidence and courage when they regain possession.

Croatia forward Dion Drena Beljo, who scored against Spain in his first start for the national team, also admitted that the team must improve from that performance. He pointed to Croatia’s earlier victory over Czechia as the level of performance they want to reproduce against England.

The fixture also gives Croatia an opportunity to draw confidence from their home advantage, although England arrive with momentum following their 2-0 win in Prague.

The two sides are familiar opponents. England defeated Croatia 4-2 in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while England Football records 12 meetings between the countries, with England winning seven, drawing two and losing three.

Saturday’s encounter will be played at Stadion HNK Rijeka, with kick-off scheduled for 5:00pm Nigerian time. UEFA lists the game as Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 Nations League League A Group A3.

For England, the match represents another opportunity to strengthen their position in a competitive group, while Croatia will be seeking a response after their disappointing result against Spain.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia

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