England ignore star absences to sink Greece

England’s understudies ignored the controversy over Harry Kane’s criticism of the team’s absentee stars as they beat Greece 3-0 on Thursday to keep alive their hopes of Nations League promotion.

Kane was surprisingly dropped by interim boss Lee Carsley just 24 hours after his scathing response to the rash of withdrawals from England’s squad. The England captain said international duty should “come before anything” amid suggestions several had been persuaded by their club managers to pull out to avoid injuries at a busy time of the season.

Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Levi Colwill, Aaron Ramsdale and even Jarrad Branthwaite, who was a late call-up, all opted to withdraw from Carsley’s squad.

Carsley’s decision to leave Kane on the bench for the first 66 minutes before introducing him as a substitute was seen in some quarters as a rebuke for his uncharacteristically divisive comments. In truth, Kane may have been given a rest day amid a hectic campaign with Bayern Munich.

But the stay-away players weren’t missed as England’s reserves powered to a victory that left them in control of their fate in Nations League Group B2. Ollie Watkins, deputising for Kane, gave England an early lead in the Olympic Stadium in Athens before an own goal from Greece keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos doubled the visitors’ advantage.

Like Watkins, Curtis Jones had benefitted from the England absences and the Liverpool midfielder marked his first England start with their third goal. England have moved above Greece on goal difference and will be guaranteed to win promotion to Nations League A if they beat Ireland at Wembley on Sunday.

If England finish second in the group, they go into a promotion play-off against one of the third-placed League A sides next year. That will be of particular interest to Thomas Tuchel, the incoming England manager who was notable by his absence in Athens.

Tuchel agreed an 18-month contract to become the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate in October, but the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss is not due to start until January 1.

England are treading water until Tuchel takes charge, with questions asked about why the German has not already started his reign ahead of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Finished with a flourish

This was an encouraging sign of the quality that will eventually be available to Tuchel as England avenged their first-ever defeat against Greece at Wembley in October. It took just seven minutes for Watkins to justify his inclusion instead of Kane.

Noni Madueke’s cut-back found Watkins perfectly positioned in the six-yard box for a predatory finish. Madueke’s dynamic contribution to the goal extended the Chelsea winger’s superb start to the season. The 22-year-old went close to doubling England’s lead as he tested Vlachodimos with a low strike.

Kostas Tsimikas almost grabbed an equaliser against the run of play when the Liverpool left-back forced Jordan Pickford to make a good save at his near post. Watkins squandered a chance for his second goal, racing through only to let the ball trickle from his possession with only Vlachodimos to beat.

Madueke was a constant danger on the right flank and he teed up Rico Lewis for a fierce drive that Vlachodimos pushed away early in the second half. Bellingham glanced a header against the far post moments later, but Greece nearly levelled through Fotis Ioannidis, whose close-range effort was repelled by Pickford’s fine stop.

England finished with a flourish as Bellingham powered to the edge of the area in the 78th minute, unloading a blistering shot that beat Vlachodimos, hit the post and rebounded into the net off the Greece keeper. Jones underlined England’s strength in depth five minutes later with a cheeky back-flicked finish from Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross.