Coufal Back in Czechia Training Ahead of England Clash at Wembley

Vladimir Coufal has returned to training and is in contention for Czechia’s Wembley meeting with England after a knee problem forced him out of the game against Spain.

The 34-year-old full-back received a plasma injection and said the recovery has progressed well enough for him to work with the squad after the Spain match and again at Wembley. The final decision on whether he starts on Tuesday rests with the coaching staff, but Coufal had targeted this fixture throughout his treatment.

“My knee is improving and getting ready for England was my aim,” Coufal said. “I wanted to feature against Spain, but we decided not to take an unnecessary risk. The injection helped and I have trained with the team since then.”

Czechia arrive after England’s striking 7-0 Nations League win away to Croatia, a scoreline Coufal initially thought must have been wrong when he saw it. He later spoke with Croatia forward Andrej Kramaric, who told him the match had been extremely difficult and that Croatia’s approach played into England’s hands.

Coufal insists Czechia will not allow the contest to follow the same pattern. “There is no fear from us; we believe in ourselves,” he said. “Naturally, England’s quality demands respect. Winning 7-0 in Croatia is extraordinary, but we do not want to play as Croatia did and we cannot let the game develop that way.”

Wembley carries particular meaning for Coufal after his years living and playing in London during his Premier League career. He has appeared at the stadium twice before and expects a crowd of 90,000, while also recalling Czech football’s Euro 96 run, which ended in the final at Wembley.

“Wembley is a symbol of English football,” he said. “Our country has had important moments here in the past and we want to make life difficult for England. It is a privilege to play there. For English players, representing their country at Wembley is the biggest occasion.”

Coufal added that the trip feels like a homecoming because of his connections in England and familiarity with several members of the home squad. More importantly, he said, he wanted to be available to join his international team-mates for the occasion.

With Ladislav Krejci suspended, Czechia must also settle on a captain. Coufal, the most experienced player in the travelling group, is a leading option for the armband. He said he would accept the role with pride if appointed, but will leave the call to the coach.

“If the coach chooses me, it would be a great honour and I will lead the team,” Coufal said. “If he does not, that is fine too.”