The Chelsea midfielder played all but the final few minutes of a 1-0 win for the Italians which keeps them in contention to make the Nations League finals. England are relegated to level B of the competition.

Reece James and Raheem Sterling were the two Chelsea starters for the Three Lions in the San Siro. Mason Mount was an unused substitute. Ben Chilwell, part of the overall squad, was not included in the matchday squad for this game.

It was shaky start from England but they grew into what became an even if uneventful first half. James in space had a crossing chance midway through it but could not reach his target Harry Kane. Later the Chelsea wing-back had a shot into a crowded area which deflected wide.

Kane found space for a long-range attempt near the interval but it was optimistic and off target.

Sterling had been very closely policed by the Italian players, often with his back to goal, but early in the second half he was able to embark on a good run which ended in an England free-kick and an Italy booking. James was allowed to go for goal from a good position but did make it pay.

Italy opened England up soon after that but the ball went wide and the offside flag went up. Instead their goal came from the edge of the penalty area midway through the second half. Giacomo Raspadori, on loan at Napoli from Sassuolo, brought a long ball down well and finished even better.

Kane was denied an equaliser by a double save from Gianluigi Donnarumma. James, who was on a lot of the set-pieces, tried to catch the Italian keeper out with a free-kick from out wide but it was punched away.

The Azzurri came closer to a goal with a shot saved by Nick Pope and then a follow-up cross that hit the post. In added time, a James cross was headed over by Jude Bellingham.

England now have one more game before the World Cup in Qatar, against Germany on Monday. Italy, who did not qualify for this winter’s big tournament, now play Hungary the same day.

Germany will arrive at Wembley off the back of a 1-0 defeat as well. They went down to Hungary in Leipzig. The goal came early on from Adam Szalai to inflict a first defeat as Germany coach on Hansi Flick.

Kai Havertz remained on the bench until the 69th-minute when he was brought on for his former Chelsea colleague Timo Werner. After a good first half by the Hungarians, Havertz was busy in a stronger showing by the Germans later in the game but their opponents could have doubled their advantage with a late one-on-one chance that was saved. While Germany’s place in the top tier of the Nations League is safe despite this result, it is Hungary’s game against Italy that will yield the finalists from their group.

Away for the UEFA competition, Thiago Silva took up his customary place in the Brazil starting line-up, against Ghana in a game held in France, and it did not take long for the South Americans to take the lead.

Marquinhos scored from a corner, and the lead that was doubled before half-an-hour had been played by Richarlison, who then added his second and Brazil’s third before half-time with a header, Neymar providing the ball for both those goals.

Fresh from celebrating his 38th-birthday yesterday, Thiago Silva was rested from any second-half action and no more goals were added. In fact Ghana came close to spoiling the clean sheet when Andre Ayew headed against the bar. They also gave a debut in the second half to former Chelsea player Tariq Lamptey.

Hakim Ziyech, following his return from retirement from international football, was handed a start by Morocco as they played Chile in a friendly in Spain. He played 82 minutes and by the time he was replaced, his side had scored the game’s two goals, the first from the penalty spot after a handball.

At Under-21 level, Wesley Fofana started for France in a friendly in Germany and his side began strongly. The German side came back into it but France scored early in the second half from a counter-attack, Rennes striker Amine Gouiri making the breakthrough which led to a deserved 1-0 win.

Ian Maatsen came on for the final 15 minutes for Netherlands Under-21s who also won. Their game was away to neighbours Belgium with both the Dutch goals in a 2-1 win coming in the first half, scored by Ajax’s Brian Brobbey.

Cesare Casadei opened the scoring for Italy’s U20 team in what was an action-packed game against Portugal on Friday afternoon.

The young Italian midfielder has taken his goalscoring form at club level into the international scene as it took less than 20 minutes for him to net in a 2-1 win.

Leo Castledine was involved in England U18s’ 2-1 win over Faroe Islands.

Somto Boniface, Kiano Dyer and Michael Golding all started in the England U17s 3-0 victory over Czech Republic.