England play host to Greece in the Nations League as both teams look to continue their unbeaten in this top of the table encounter at Wembley.
Lee Carsley’s reign has got off to the perfect start with victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland during the September internationals. Harry Kane scored twice against the latter on his 100th appearance for the national side but is a doubt for this game after training away from the rest of the squad earlier in the week.
England have also been boosted by the returns of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer who will be causing the manager to think about how to fit all of them into the line-up.
Elsewhere, Greece have also won both of their Nations League outings, against the same opponents, but have outscored the Three Lions with five goals from those two games. This match represents the biggest test of the Carsley era so far but should England come through it they will be the favourites to win promotion back into League A.
Follow all the Nations League action with our live blog below:
England vs Greece LIVE
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England host Greece in the Nations League with kick off at 7.45pm live on ITV
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Harry Kane is a doubt for the game having trained away from the squad earlier in the week
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Greece top group B2 with a better goal difference from the Three Lions after two wins from two
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ENG XI: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis, Rice, Foden, Palmer, Saka, Bellingham, Gordon
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GRE XI: Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Giannoulis, Kourbelis, Bakasetas, Siopis, Masouras, Tzolis, Pavlidis
18:53 , Karl Matchett
And the Greece line up is as follows:
Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Giannoulis, Kourbelis, Bakasetas, Siopis, Masouras, Tzolis, Pavlidis
Confirmed team news
18:48 , Karl Matchett
Here’s the lineup for England:
Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis, Rice, Foden, Palmer, Saka, Bellingham, Gordon
England vs Greece talking points
18:40 , Mike Jones
Greece looking to extend winning run
Greece arrive at Wembley as League B Group 2 leaders after wins in the opening two games against Finland and Republic of Ireland.
They are ahead of England on goals scored, so this match could go a long way to deciding who finishes top of the group and therefore wins promotion to League A.
Greece are playing well but have not played in a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They last played England in an international friendly in 2006 when they lost 4-0 at Old Trafford.
England vs Greece talking points
18:36 , Mike Jones
Palmer’s first start?
As the hottest property in the Premier League at the moment, it is strange to think Cole Palmer has yet to start a competitive game for his country.
That stat did not stop him being named as England’s player of the year for 2023/24. Given his form for Chelsea, Carsley will surely select him in his starting XI against Greece.
The interim boss has hinted Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are all unlikely to start together in this international break so which position Palmer may get the nod will be interesting.
England vs Greece talking points
18:30 , Mike Jones
Carsley to cement his position?
Lee Carsley has always maintained that he is on a three-camp mission following his appointment as interim boss in the wake of Gareth Southgate’s exit.
But the former Under-21s manager is beginning to get his feet under the table and has the opportunity to further enhance his chances of getting the job on a permanent basis.
He said that he felt at home on the Wembley touchline during last month’s win over Finland and if his side put on another impressive attacking display against Greece then he could win further support for the future.
England vs Greece talking points
18:24 , Mike Jones
Solanke’s long wait
If Harry Kane is not fit then it could open the door up for Dominic Solanke. The Tottenham striker is back in the England squad for the first time since 2017 when he made a 15-minute cameo as a substitute in a friendly against Brazil at Wembley.
Despite a seven-year exile he always believed he would be back at the top and had his debut shirt framed on his wall at home to use as motivation.
If Kane does not make it, then he will likely be vying with Ollie Watkins for a starting spot.
England vs Greece talking points
18:18 , Mike Jones
Will Harry Kane be fit?
There are big fitness doubts over captain Harry Kane following the injury he picked up playing for Bayern Munich at the weekend.
The striker came off against Eintracht Frankfurt with a knock but was passed fit by England’s medical staff on Monday.
However, he trained individually on Tuesday and with the tight turnaround, it remains to be seen whether the country’s record goalscorer will be fit.
Lee Carsley confirmed that he will not start but a substitute appearance hasn’t been ruled out.
John Stones blocking out Manchester City noise while on England duty: ‘I put a lot of trust in the club’
18:12 , Mike Jones
John Stones says he pays no “attention” to the off-field issues surrounding Manchester City as it is something he “cannot control”, and that his position is to simply “put a lot of trust in the club”.
The centre-half was speaking ahead of England-Greece, in an international week that has been overshadowed by news of the latest legal case involving the Premier League champions.
Monday brought the judgment in City’s challenge against the competition’s Associated Party Transaction Rules, which will see some rules rewritten. That preceded a storm of controversy amid competing claims about who “won”, with new acrimony in the Premier League as City wrote an email to the other clubs threatening further legal action.
John Stones blocking out Man City noise while on England duty: ‘I trust in the club’
Stones to ‘cherish’ captaining England
18:06 , Mike Jones
John Stones is excited for an “incredible moment” as he captains England for the first time against Greece on Thursday.
“It’s definitely everything that I could have dreamed of as a kid,” the defender said ahead of the game.
“For my family to be able to see me walk out as England captain is a special moment and one I can’t thank Lee enough for. It was a great conversation we had last night and one I was a bit speechless in.
“An incredible moment for me, it was a bit more normal today, everything resumed as normal, the preparation, the training that we’ve done and our focus.
“To be walking out with the armband on is an absolute honour and a moment I will cherish forever.”
Stones to captain England
18:00 , Mike Jones
John Stones will lead England out as captain for the first time this evening. He wins his 82nd cap and is looking forward to leading the national team.
“It was a great conversation that I was able to have with John last night, to have that responsibility to ask him to captain the team,” Lee Carsley said.
“It’s a brilliant achievement for John. Something that he deserves – the amount of caps he’s got, the experience he’s got, the level of professionalism that he shows within the squad, the example he is to the younger players.
“It was a great conversation to have.”
Kane won’t start for England
17:54 , Mike Jones
“Harry’s nursing an injury, a small knock,” confirmed interim England manager Lee Carsley when asked if the Three Lions captain was fit for tonight’s game.
“Something that we won’t take a chance with.”
Asked to clarify whether Kane will be on the bench at Wembley, he said: “We’re not ruling him out yet of the game, but he won’t start the game.
“Hopefully he’ll be in contention then for Sunday (against Finland) but, again, time will tell. It’s not something I think we should be rushing.”
Lee Carsley confirms Harry Kane won’t start for England against Greece – ‘We won’t take a chance’
17:48 , Mike Jones
Interim boss Lee Carsley says he “won’t take a chance” with Harry Kane’s fitness in England’s Nations League clash against Greece as the skipper deals with a knock.
A month on from celebrating his 100th cap with a match-winning brace against Finland, the 31-year-old could miss Thursday’s Wembley return against the Group B2 leaders.
Kane sustained a knock during Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday and has been unable to train with the group despite getting the green light to stay with England.
Carsley confirms Kane won’t start for England against Greece
Jack Grealish reveals which England teammate he will never ask to babysit new daughter
17:42 , Mike Jones
Jack Grealish has revealed which of his England teammates he will never ask to babysit his new baby daughter.
The Manchester City player announced the safe arrival of his first child Mila with partner Sasha Ashwood earlier this week.
In an interview with BBC Sport on Wednesday, ahead of England’s match against Greece, Grealish was asked which of his Three Lions teammates would be the best and worst babysitter.
The 29-year-old chose Harry Kane as his preferred favourite, when pressed on his least preferred choice, he chose Bukayo Saka, stating the Arsenal winger might “fall asleep”.
England vs Greece prediction
17:36 , Mike Jones
With England in great form and fully revitalised under interim manager Lee Carsley they should be looking forward to a more challenging outing this evening.
Greece are unbeaten in the Nations League so far but will likely be forced to change their style of play against the Three Lions. It may take a while for the first goal to come but England will look to take advantage when it does.
England 3-0 Greece.
Predicted line-ups
17:30 , Mike Jones
Here’s how we see both teams lining up tonight given pre-match information and how we think the manager’s will see the match playing out. Lee Carsley has a job on his hands fitting Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham into the team so it seems likely at least one will be on the bench.
I can easily see Palmer or Foden starting on the left side ahead of Anthony Gordon though the Newcastle winger impressed in the previous camp and deserves to keep his spot.
England XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Guehi, Colwill; Gomes, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Watkins
Greece XI: Vlachodimos; Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Tsimikas; Bouchalakis, Mantalos; Chatzigiovannis, Bakasetas, Pelkas; Pavlidis
As for the latest odds, it should come as no surprise that England are the heavy favourites though without Harry Kane up front the match will likely be a closer affair than expected.
England win 1/5
Draw 7/2
Greece win 9/1
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Greece early team news
17:24 , Mike Jones
Greece have been dealt a huge blow to their chances of winning as Fotis Ioannidis sustained an injury during Panathinaikos’ recent Greek Super League clash with Olympiacos and has been left out of the squad.
Vangelis Pavlidis should lead the line as a result with the rest of the squad taking up a more familiar shape. Goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos should win his 45th cap in goal.
England early team news
17:18 , Mike Jones
Harry Kane did not train with the rest of the squad on Tuesday as he recovers from a thigh injury and the England captain is a doubt for this game. He trained indoors on a specialised programme so may be able to feature at some point though a starting place is unlikely.
Ezri Konsa, Morgan Gibbs-White and Kobbie Mainoo all withdrew from the squad on Monday having picked up respective injuries over the weekend. Having returned to the squad for this camp, Kyle Walker, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are all in line to start for the Three Lions.
How can I watch it?
17:12 , Mike Jones
This Nations League clash will be shown on ITV1 and ITV X with coverage starting at 7pm BST.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is England vs Greece?
17:06 , Mike Jones
England vs Greece is due to kick off at 7.45pm BST on Thursday 10 October at Wembley Stadium.
England vs Greece
17:00 , Mike Jones
England face their biggest test of the Nations League so far when they welcome Greece to Wembley in a top of the table clash in Group B2.
Neither team have lost a game since the resumption of this tournament with both defeating Finland and the Republic of Ireland in September’s international break.
Greece have made the better start, keeping two clean sheets and scoring more goals (five compared to four from the Three Lions) though there is very little to separate the sides.
Both teams could also be missing their main forward with Fotis Ioannidis out of the Greece squad due to injury and Harry Kane still trying to recover from a thigh problem.
Welcome!
14:54 , Mike Jones
Good evening one and all. England are back in Nations League action at Wembley tonight as they take on Greece in a blockbuster clash at the top of Group B2.
Neither team has lost yet in the competition but both sides are missing their main strikers as Harry Kane and Fotis Ioannidis will sit this one out (Kane may make an appearance off the bench but won’t start).
We’ll have all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the evening so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.
