England’s bid to escape League B of the Nations League continues on Thursday night in their first match of the October international bracket against Greece.
The Gareth Southgate era is firmly behind the Three Lions with Lee Carsley successfully stepping in after the former Middlesbrough defender retired following the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.
Things went well in Carsley’s first two games as interim boss, securing 2-0 wins over Finland and the Republic of Ireland, but a handful of injuries mean it could be a different looking XI in which they presented last month.
Here is the team England could be deployed for their final Nations League outing.
GK: Jordan Pickford – Nick Pope and Dean Henderson are the other two goalkeepers included in Carsley’s squad, but there is little reason to believe a stopper other than Pickford will be between the posts at Wembley.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – England fans saw what Alexander-Arnold can offer in his natural position during the last international break. His star quality is unquestionable and should be used to greater effect than under Southgate.
CB: John Stones – There have been just three starters in all competitions at Manchester City for the Stones so far this season, but with other experienced options such as Harry Maguire on the sidelines, his presence in the England team is important.
CB: Marc Guehi – Guehi’s performances at Euro 2024 established the Crystal Palace star as an international-level centre-back England can be comfortable using.
LB: Levi Colwill – With Alexander-Arnold likely to bomb from the right, Chelsea defender Colwill will likely be more reserved on the opposite flank.
CM: Declan Rice – Only four players in the current squad can boast more England caps than Rice’s 60, which he has accumulated at just 25 years of age.
CM: Jude Bellingham – He hasn’t had the extraordinary goal-scoring start to the campaign he enjoyed last year, but Bellingham’s ability in possession and dynamic dribbling will be more than evident in a deeper role on Thursday.
RW: Bukayo Then – Saka’s form at the start of the 2024/25 season has been nothing short of fascinating, with two goals and seven assists in the Premier League.
AM: Cole Palmer – A little bit surprisingly named England player of the year for the 2023/24 seasonPalmer will be hoping to make his first appearances for Carsley this month having missed September through injury.
LW: Anthony Gordon – Gordon’s direct style and express pace are weapons that were not used at Euro 2024, but he started against the Republic of Ireland and Finland and is ready to play a big role again.
ST: Ollie Watkins – Harry Kane is still training on his own but England have an excellent deputy in Aston Villa, striker Ollie Watkins. The 28-year-old has four goals in 15 international games.
