England manager Gareth Southgate has praised Italy's defence, suggesting that the nation have perfected the "art".

The Three Lions will play against Italy in an international friendly at Wembley this evening.

The nation failed to qualify for the World Cup, but Southgate is expecting a 'tough test' for his England players.

"Italian football, I've always been a huge admirer," Sky Sports News quotes the manager as saying. "The detail with which they play. As a defender, of course, they are the best. The tactical organisation, the detail of marking.

"The art of defending, because it is an art, in my opinion, and it's often neglected by people and undervalued, but when you see the likes of not only this team, but the teams I played against, [Alessandro] Nesta, [Fabio] Cannavaro, [Paolo] Maldini, the best, the absolute best.

"We know to score goals against an Italian team is the toughest possible test, and we know they'll be really well organised and press us well tomorrow. So, it's a really good test for us to see how far we've come."

Tonight will be England's final friendly before Southgate names his squad for the World Cup in Russia.