England vs Brazil LIVE: Latest team news and line-ups as Anthony Gordon starts Wembley friendly tonight

Now that we’ve got the team news, a quick reminder on how you can watch tonight’s game.

Both teams are building up to their respective continental tournaments this summer, with both among the favourites to win.

The game is due to kick off at 7pm GMT at Wembley Stadium.

Viwers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Channel 4, with coverage from the broadcaster from 6pm GMT. A livestream will be available via the Channel 4 app or website.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

England are wearing a new home kit tonight. You might have heard about it… An altered appearance of the St George’s Cross, using purple and blue horizontal stripes in what it called a “playful update” by Nike, has led to criticism from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Southgate refused to be drawn on the controversy when asked about the flag on Friday. “It’s not been high on my list of priorities, but that depends which bit it is,” he said.

“Because I don’t know if the debate is about the St George flag needing to be on the England shirt, because obviously it hasn’t always been.

“I think the most important thing that has to be on an England shirt is the Three Lions, it’s our iconic symbol, it is what distinguishes us, not only from football teams around the world but from England rugby and England cricket.

“It’s the thing that, when I put my shirt on at Burnham Beeches 30 years ago, I looked in the mirror – and I clearly don’t look at my face too often when I do that – but the Three Lions really stood out.

“So I suppose what you’re really asking is, should we be tampering with the Cross of St George?

“But in my head, if it’s not a red cross on a white background, it isn’t the Cross of St George anyway, so it is a hard question to answer really, because it is presumably some artistic take, which I am not creative enough to understand.”

The England manager speaks to Channel 4 before the game, and says that the team “have to adjust our game” to Ollie Watkins’ style of play.

On Anthony Gordon, he says he wants more of “what he’s done for his club all season”.

“He’s been exciting, he scores goals, he works hard, he’s trained really well all week,” he adds.

On the England flag kit fiasco, he says that the Three Lions are the most important thing on the kit, but that he hasn’t tracked it closely.

ENGLAND XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell; Gallagher, Rice; Foden, Bellingham, Gordon; Watkins.

BRAZIL XI: Bento; Danilo, Bruno, Beraldo, Wendell; Guimaraes, Joao Gomes, Paqueta; Vini Jr., Rodrygo, Raphinha.

Almost time for line-ups! Just to remind you of the team news, England and Brazil are both dealing with long lists of injuries.

England are without Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Kieran Trippier, Luke Shaw, Reece James and Jordan Henderson.

For Brazil, there’s no Neymar, Casemiro, Marquinhos, Alisson, Ederson, Martinelli or Gabriel.

But let’s see who has made it…

Jarrad Branthwaite might make his senior England debut against Brazil on Saturday, up against stars like Vinicius Jr and Endrick, and it is from this point that his remarkable career trajectory must now be measured. Last summer he was on the bench for England’s Under-21s watching others play ahead of him; go back another four years and Branthwaite was ready to give up football entirely.

He was a 15-year-old playing for his local club, Carlisle United, about to lose his academy contract after struggling with tendonitis for 18 months. Carlisle offered one final four-week trial to let him win back his place. It was his parents who encouraged their teenage son to give football one last try, with an arm round the shoulder and a kick up the backside.

“If it wasn’t for my mam and dad, I probably wouldn’t have carried on. In my mind I was thinking, ‘if they don’t want me now, what’s four weeks gonna do?’. But my dad gave me a training programme, and I stuck to that, and it helped me get a scholarship.”

Branthwaite has no idea what he would have done without football, and laughs at the idea that a burly northern lad might have instead joined the military. “I don’t think so,” he smiles. “All I wanted to do when I was young was football, football, football, and that happened. I didn’t know where to be, and then that’s where my dad stepped in and basically said, come on…”

He is sitting in a quiet room at St George’s Park, discussing his path from Cumbria to Wembley. Often footballers are different in the flesh from the character you see on the field, but Branthwaite is exuding all the same traits that make him an exceptional young defender: composure, a calm self-assurance, with that imposing physical presence.

If Harry Maguire had listened to the many voices talking about him last year, he would not have been smiling on the Old Trafford pitch on Sunday afternoon as the sun went down, revelling in Manchester United’s pulsating FA Cup win over Liverpool.

Last summer a storm brewed around Maguire, and he was told to leave the club by a number of former Manchester United players including Dwight Yorke, Jaap Stam and Wayne Rooney. There were countless examples of this kind of unsolicited advice in the media at the time, and looking back now, it is much harder to find an expert who encouraged Maguire to stay and fight for his place.

He almost followed the noise, coming very close to joining West Ham. He had been making high-profile mistakes, most notably against Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final, a tragicomedy performance which drew stinging criticism. Then Erik ten Hag switched the captaincy to Bruno Fernandes in a humiliating blow. Maguire stayed, but started only one of the opening 10 games this season.

He is certainly glad he did. Maguire fought to win back his place in the team, seizing his chance with the help of injuries to teammates Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane along the way. Now he is showing some of his best club form since Ten Hag took charge in the spring of 2022.

By Lawrence Ostlere at St George’s Park

Gareth Southgate says Kobbie Mainoo has made a “really good impression” after being called up to the England squad for the first time.

He said: “We like him as a player, we’re mindful of his age and his rapid progress. With any young player you’re wanting to make steps at the right time but with the issues we’ve had, with Hendo as well this week, he’s the next one in. He hasn’t surprised us and his comfort in possession is clear to see. He’s keen to learn.”

Kobbie Mainoo says a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad is the end goal after the Manchester United teenager’s whirlwind rise continued with a first senior call-up.

Long considered a future Old Trafford star, the 18-year-old midfielder has established himself as key part of Erik ten Hag’s side since returning from an ankle ligament injury sustained in pre-season.

Initially named in the under-21s set-up, he was promoted to the senior squad for the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium fresh from United’s jaw-dropping 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final win against Liverpool.

“It’s been a pretty mad couple of days,” Mainoo told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Sunday obviously was a great game and a great win, then to get called up to the under-21s obviously I was excited to come. Then getting down here and realising that I was with the first team was amazing.

“I was shocked and happy and it’s been a whirlwind of emotions.”