England faces the possibility of having to replace injured captain Harry Kane with Dominic Solanke as they prepare to take on Greece in the Nations League at Wembley. Kane sustained an injury while playing for Bayern Munich over the weekend, raising concerns over his availability for the upcoming match. Although England’s medical staff initially cleared him to play, Kane trained individually on Tuesday, leaving uncertainty around his fitness for the game.
Solanke, who has not featured for England since 2017, could step in if Kane is unable to play. Despite a seven-year absence from the squad, Solanke never lost hope of making a comeback and kept his debut shirt as a source of motivation. If Kane is sidelined, Solanke may compete with Ollie Watkins for a spot in the starting lineup.
Interim manager Lee Carsley, on a self-declared three-camp mission, will be looking to solidify his position in charge of the team. Following an impressive attacking display in their previous match against Finland, Carsley aims to garner further support for his permanent appointment as manager with a strong performance against Greece.
Meanwhile, Cole Palmer, highly sought after in the Premier League, is yet to make his first start for England. Despite this, Palmer was named England’s player of the year for 2023/24 and is expected to be included in the starting XI against Greece. Carsley hinted that Palmer, along with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden, may not all start together, making the selection of Palmer’s position a key point of interest.
Greece, currently leading League B Group 2, have shown impressive form with wins in their opening games against Finland and the Republic of Ireland. With England closely trailing on goals scored, the match against Greece could determine the group’s winner and promote them to League A. Although Greece has been performing well, they have not participated in a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup, with their last encounter against England dating back to 2006 in an international friendly where they suffered a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford.