Greece vs England LIVE: Team news and line-ups as Three Lions ready for must-win Nations League clash

It is an England football team, if not the England team that will take the field in Athens on Thursday night. Aaron Ramsdale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish is a line-up that would require a false nine. There may be an irony there, given that Lee Carsley’s striker-less formation was a major factor in defeat to Greece last month.

But instead of each playing, they are all absent, either injured or recuperating. Six of them started the Euro 2024 final and a seventh, Palmer, scored in it, so it seems no exaggeration to call it a stronger side than the team Carsley will actually pick.

England 4-0 Greece, August 2006

A meeting at Old Trafford against Otto Rehhagel’s reigning European Champions ended in a convincing win for new boss Steve McClaren in his first game in charge. Goals from John Terry, Frank Lampard and a brace from Peter Crouch proved the difference on the day.

England 2-2 Greece, 6 October 2001

Who could forget David Beckham’s unstoppable free-kick in the last minute to seal the result and England’s place in the 2002 World Cup? Greece had taken the lead twice at Old Trafford, either side of Teddy Sheringham’s goal, but it was captain Beckham who took the plaudits after an all-action display to help pull England over the line.

The visitors scored in added time to win all three points at Wembley in the first 2024-25 Nations league fixture between these sides.

Jude Bellingham thought he’d earned the Three Lions a point with an 87th-minute strike but Vangelis Pavlidis – who had earlier broken the deadlock – scored his second goal of the evening to seal the win.

England were beaten by Greece at Wembley during the last international window and must now triumph away from home to have a chance at winning automatic promotion.

Lee Carsley says the squad learned a lot from that defeat and will try to improve tonight.

The interim boss said: “First and foremost, the tempo we have to play at and the chances we create we have to take. Real basics, but a good reminder.

“We tried something different that night so you’ll probably see something more conventional in terms of the way we play, but I expect us to play a good, attacking style and hopefully we can get a good result.

“We’ve definitely prepared well for the game, they’re very well organised and a strong team with a great history. We definitely didn’t underestimate them [in October] and we expect a tough game.

“We found they were very good on the counter attack especially so it’s going to be a difficult game.”

Harry Kane says that Gareth Southgate brought back the joy in playing for England and hopes that the former manager’s exit doesn’t result in that feeling being lost.

Kane said: “I think the joy to play for England. I think he brought that back. I think every camp people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and, yeah, that’s the most important thing.

“I think England comes before anything. England comes before club. England is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer and Gareth was hot on that and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if, you know, that started to drift from certain players.”

England captain Harry Kane isn’t best pleased that so many senior players have dropped out of the squad for these two international fixtures.

Speaking to ITV he said: “It’s a shame this week, obviously. I think it’s a tough period of the season and, yeah, maybe that’s been taken advantage of that a little bit.

“I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think, like I just said there, England comes before anything, any club situation.”

Harry Kane has accused his England teammates of taking advantage of the lack of a long-term manager by pulling out of the squad for this week’s must-win game against Greece.

Thomas Tuchel does not start as Gareth Southgate’s successor until January and Kane implied players would not have sat out the double header against Greece and Republic of Ireland if the German was in charge.

England to bounce back from disappointment last time out and record victory in more pragmatic fashion than they tried last time the sides met.

Lee Carsley says he is expecting the Three Lions to come up against a touch side in Greece when they clash in a crucial Nations League match tonight.

The interim boss said: “We’re expecting a tough game and it’s one we have to win. “But we’re really looking forward to it, we’ve had a good week’s training, the players are in good spirits and it’s going to be a sell out with a great atmosphere. “We’ve had to wait four or five weeks for this, but this next window is so important to us, not just tomorrow but Republic of Ireland as well, so it’s a great challenge for us.”

England have had nine players drop out of the squad due to injury or recuperation leaving Lee Carsley with a difficult job against Greece.

The interim boss was adamant that the players who remain can get a win and that his focus has been on preparing for the game not managing those that dropped out.

Carsley said: “The focus all camp has been on the players that are here and it’s important that we make the most of this situation.

“With the amount of players that have pulled out, it gives other players an opportunity to be here. We’re really looking forward to the game and it’s going to be a tough test for us and the focus has been purely on the players that are here.

“With the amount of pull-outs we’ve had in the window, historically it’s been like that in the past – November has always been a challenging window – but the culture that Gareth, Steve and the rest of the lads created has made it a really positive environment and the players that are here thoroughly deserve to be here and they’re ready for the game.”