Lee Carsley will have to select a makeshift England team for his penultimate match in charge against Greece after eight players withdrew from the squad due to injury.
England’s interim manager, who will return to his old U21 job when Thomas Tuchel starts work on 1 January, acknowledged last week that there were “question marks over four or five” players and a “standby list” prepped and ready expecting that some would pull out.
Some of Carsley’s call-ups seemed ambitious, notably Jack Grealish who hasn’t played for Manchester City in almost a month and whose inclusion irked Pep Guardiola.
However, Carsley wouldn’t have anticipated having almost a third of his squad wiped out for England’s upcoming Nations League fixtures in Athens on Thursday and at Wembley against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Phil Foden and Aaron Ramsdale are the others who have withdrawn. England have a formidable unavailable XI when you consider that John Stones, Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw were already ruled out.
It has created an awkward situation for Carsley who will want to try and ensure that England top their league to avoid having to play a two-legged promotion play-off in March.
The fact that something is riding on this double-header has prompted further questions about why the FA were willing to wait for Tuchel.
Greece proved they are no pushovers during last month’s meeting between the teams when Vangelis Pavlidis struck twice to give them a famous 2-1 victory under the Wembley arch and England’s patched-up side will have to work for their win.
Here’s how they could line up:
Defence
Besides Kyle Walker, who is closing in on his 100th cap, Carsley has an extremely inexperienced defensive group to call upon with Newcastle full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento and Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis all uncapped.
The back four mostly picks itself. Walker will surely start at right-back given his experience, Marc Guehi is now established as a first-choice at centre-back and Ezri Konsa is ahead of Jarrad Branthwaite, who was only called up after Colwill’s withdrawal, and Harwood-Bellis in the pecking order after impressing at the Euros.
Left-back has been England’s problem position all year and Carsley will have to decide whether to pick a specialist or a right-footer who can invert into midfield.
Hall has the benefit of actually being a leftie and would provide the best balance, but Rico Lewis has started two of Carsley’s four matches in that role and may do so again in order to maintain some degree of continuity.
Jordan Pickford will start in goal.
Midfield
For the past few years, England’s midfield has consisted of Rice plus one other, but with the 25-year-old sidelined Carsley will need to build his engine room around somebody else. He’s not exactly blessed with options either.
None of the five midfielders are particularly defensively inclined. Conor Gallagher can be a ball-winner but is far more effective when playing as part of a three, as was evidenced in Germany this summer. Needs must on this occasion, though.
Angel Gomes is likely to slot in alongside him given Carsley rates him as a deep-lying tempo-setter. The Manchester United academy graduate has tended to play as a No 10 for Lille this season but will be required deeper unless Jude Bellingham drops in.
That would be a surprise, though, given neither Foden nor Palmer can play. Bellingham will want to seize his chance in his favoured position following a mixed run of form for club and country.
Attack
Harry Kane will lead the attack as usual and his wisdom will be more important than ever in such a youthful team. Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke are both in reserve should the skipper tire.
Anthony Gordon has a fan in Carsley having started in three of his four matches and will likely take his place on the left wing given he is the only member of the squad who plays there regularly for his club. Morgan Rogers could be an interesting impact sub out wide, even if he has played most of his football for Aston Villa centrally.
On the right, Carsley can choose between Noni Madueke and Jarrod Bowen. Considering the former was picked in the initial squad and the latter only drafted in later, you’d expect him to get the nod and win his fourth cap.
England predicted line-up (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Walker, Guehi, Konsa, Lewis; Gallagher, Gomes; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
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