Interim England manager Lee Carsley has confirmed that Harry Kane will not be starting in their upcoming Nations League match against Greece. Kane sustained a leg injury during Bayern Munich‘s Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt and has been training separately from the team while on international duty. Although he won’t start in the first fixture, Carsley did not completely rule out the possibility of Kane playing. Speaking to the press before the game, Carsley stated that they won’t take any chances with Kane’s injury and that they are hopeful he will be available for Sunday’s match against Finland. However, he emphasized that rushing his return is not something they should do.
Kane recently celebrated his 100th England cap and scored two goals against Finland in their previous match under Carsley’s management. The interim manager also mentioned that Manchester City winger Jack Grealish may not be fit enough to play as he had missed training earlier in the week. Carsley expressed their priority of putting players’ well-being first rather than taking unnecessary risks.
Grealish, who was controversially left out of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, has been included in both of Carsley’s squads so far. He had openly disagreed with Southgate’s decision and was devastated by it.
In Kane’s absence, John Stones will captain the England team for their upcoming match against Greece.