Since taking over, Carsley has led England to two consecutive 2-0 wins against Ireland and Finland. Despite his success, the focus remains on whether he could take on the role full-time.
If England wins against Greece, Carsley could become the first manager in England's history to win his first three matches without conceding a goal. Achieving that would also make him the first to win his opening three games since Fabio Capello in 2008.
Greece, managed by Ivan Jovanovic, is currently the group leader. They have shown their strength with victories over Finland (3-0) and Ireland (2-0). The team, promoted to League B this season, is aiming for their 14th Nations League win, which would extend their lead over England. Fotis Ioannidis, their standout striker, has already scored three goals in this tournament.
The last time these two teams met was in a 2006 friendly, which England won 4-0, extending their unbeaten streak against Greece to nine games. One of the most memorable moments between the two sides remains David Beckham’s iconic free kick in 2001.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Ezri Konsa, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Kobbie Mainoo have all pulled out of the England squad due to injuries, but Harry Kane, England's record goalscorer, has been cleared to play despite a recent injury scare at Bayern Munich.
Given that England also faces Finland soon, it wouldn’t be surprising if manager Lee Carsley opts to rest Kane, giving Ollie Watkins or Dominic Solanke—who’s back in the squad for the first time in seven years—a chance to lead the attack on Thursday.
Carsley has also been boosted by the returns of Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Cole Palmer, all of whom missed out on the September squad. However, Walker might find himself as the backup to Trent Alexander-Arnold for the right-back position.
While England monitors Kane's fitness, Greece is also dealing with a setback. Fotis Ioannidis, their star forward, was injured during a recent league match with Panathinaikos and is unavailable. In his absence, the attacking responsibility is likely to fall on Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored 80 goals in three seasons at AZ Alkmaar before moving to Benfica this summer.
Meanwhile, Odysseas Vlachodimos, who has had a tough time since leaving Benfica, is expected to earn his 45th cap as Greece’s goalkeeper despite limited playing time with Newcastle United.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
England possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Guehi, Colwill, Lewis; Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Palmer, Grealish; Watkins
Greece possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Siopis, Kourbelis; Masouras, Bakasetas, Tzolis; Pavlidis
EXPERT PREDICTION
England 3-0 Greece[/SPOILER]
