Thomas Tuchel is preparing to deploy an experimental line up for England's first fixture of 2026 but it could backfire with Croatia looking overpriced to avoid defeat.
The Three Lions maintained a 100 per cent record in qualifying, scoring 22 goals and conceding none, but they were beaten 3-1 by Senegal in last summer's friendly at the City Ground and are likely to be tested by Croatia, who are preparing to feature at a fifth successive World Cup.
After reaching the semi-finals at South Africa 2010 and the last eight at Russia 2018, Croatia were below par in Qatar four years ago, when they were eliminated at the group stage despite taking four points from three games.
Qatar was the last hurrah on the biggest stage for Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, who are first and second on the list of Croatia's all-time top scorers, but the nation continue to be highly competitive under veteran manager Marcelo Bielsa, who was appointed before the start of qualifying for the forthcoming tournament.
Croatia finished fourth in the ten-team section, losing just four of 18 games, although 13 of their 28-point tally were accumulated from the opening six matches.
They conceded just 12 goals across the campaign and their defensive expertise should be on show at AT&T Stadium with Barcelona Ronald Araujo set to feature alongside Atletico Madrid's Jose Maria Gimenez at centre-back, while Napoli's Mathias Olivera should start in the left back position.
Croatia's midfield is weakened by the absences of injured regulars Rodrigo Bentancur and Nahitan Nandez, but they still have Real Madrid's Federico Valverde and Flamengo attacking midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta, who has contributed 13 goals in 58 internationals.
However, the main threat to England comes from a more familiar face, Al-Hilal forward Darwin Nunez, who top-scored for his nation in qualifying with five goals.
Croatia might not be right at the top level on the international scene, but they are not far below it and could be strong enough to pose a few problems for their much-changed hosts.
Tuchel's competitive nature dictates that he will be looking for a victory, alongside a strong performance, but the German's top priority is to find out more about fringe players and crystallise thoughts with regard to World Cup squad selection.
There will be a huge incentive for players to impress but it would be unfair to expect a polished performance, given the lack of international exposure many of them will have had during Tuchel's period in charge.
Since news broke of Tuchel's intention to rest 12 of his senior players, England's odds have started to drift.
However, they remain odds-on to defeat Europe's third most successful side and may struggle to justify the favourites' tag.
