England and Poland will try all over again when they prepare for their rescheduled World Cup qualifier in Warsaw.
Three Lions prepare for rescheduled clash in Warsaw
England and Poland will try all over again when they prepare for their rescheduled World Cup qualifier in Warsaw.
The Group H match was supposed to have been played on Tuesday night but was postponed due to a rain-affected pitch - despite the stadium having a roof.
FIFA rules stipulate that under such circumstances the match must be played the following day if possible so Roy Hodgson and his team will be hoping for better luck on Wednesday afternoon.
"The players know it is difficult for them to sleep at night after a game of football but it's even harder when you've been resting all day and you've not had a game," said the England boss.
"We are very unhappy about it but what can we do. No-one decides whether it's going to rain, We just have to live with the situation.
"We'd prepared well as no doubt the Poles had too, but now we've got to do it all over again. Hopefully we'll be as prepared as we were."
Toughest
Although the roof is now closed so further problems should be avoided, it is not the ideal build-up for what promises to be one of the toughest qualifying games for the Three Lions.
Hodgson's men do head into the clash as Group H leaders with seven points from three matches, two places and three points ahead of their hosts, who have a game in hand.
But after a disappointing draw at home to Ukraine last month, England need to build on the confidence-boosting 5-0 win over San Marino at Wembley on Friday.
Wayne Rooney scored twice in that game and was also captain for the night but he will relinquish the armband to Steven Gerrard, who returns after serving a suspension.
The Liverpool midfielder is part of a line-up that is already known after Hodgson revealed he will not be making changes to the team he named for Tuesday's postponed encounter.
Like Gerrard, Glen Johnson returns from a ban while Joleon Lescott, James Milner and Jermain Defoe are all in the team after being rested for the San Marino game.
As for Poland, they are without captain Jakub Blaszczykowski and striker Artur Sobiech through injuries.
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is also out for the Poles, so his place between the posts is to be taken by Przemyslaw Tyton.
But midfielder Eugen Polanski, who was given leave to return to his family this week for personal reasons, is back in the side.
Teams
Poland: Tyton; Piszczek, Wasilewski, Glik, Wawrzyniak; Krychowiak, Polanski; Wszolek, Obraniak, Grosicki; Lewandowski.
England: Hart; Johnson, Jagielka, Lescott, Cole; Cleverley, Gerrard, Carrick, Milner; Rooney, Defoe.
