England boss Lee Carsley may be forced to go back to basics to steady the ship against Finland this weekend, live on talkSPORT.
Carsley will have to make changes with Bukayo Saka and Curtis Jones withdrawing from the squad.
England were shocking against Greece and picked up nothing from the gameGetty
Meanwhile, talkSPORT understands that Marc Guehi is likely to reclaim his place and England are hoping Harry Kane will be able to return.
The Three Lions interim boss saw his team selection gamble backfire spectacularly, as his side suffered an embarrassing 2-1 loss against Greece at Wembley on Thursday.
Carsley was branded naive and his tactics were slammed as his hopes of becoming Gareth Southgate‘s permanent successor were dealt a huge blow.
The 50-year-old attempted to shoehorn all his No.10s on the field at once, with Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham all starting.
The latter was deployed as a false nine, despite having Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke available but warming the bench.
His system carried faint echoes of his successful Under-21s when he had Anthony Gordon and Morgan Gibbs-White as false 9s in the 2023 European Championship final win over Spain.
However, after receiving a 1/10 rating by talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham for the Greece horror show, Carsley may revert to the tactics that brought him initial success as senior England boss.
Chief among them will be playing a recognised striker at the tip of his attack and fortunately for him, Harry Kane looks to be back fit.
The England captain sat out the defeat to Greece with an injury he sustained in Bayern Munich‘s 3-3 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
The 31-year-old’s issue wasn’t considered serious enough to see him depart from St George’s Park, with an eye on starting here.
Should Kane be deemed only fit for a place on the bench then Ollie Watkins will likely get his chance to prove he can be the long-term successor.
As a result, Bellingham will be pushed deeper into the type of area the Real Madrid superstar got on the scoresheet from at Wembley.
Bellingham will benefit from Kane’s returnGetty
Carsley could start the 21-year-old alongside Declan Rice in holding midfield, but the No.10 role in a 4-2-3-1 is tailor-made for him.
That is where Jack Grealish, who will also be available after a slight knock, flourished during the reverse fixture against Finland last month.
The Manchester City attacker’s talents may be needed on the left following club-mate Foden and Anthony Gordon’s struggles.
Reigning PFA Player of the Year Foden continues to fail to transfer his dazzling Man City form onto the international stage.
Despite starting all seven of England’s games at the Euros, Foden failed to register a goal or assist in Germany.
The 24-year-old has since endured a slow start to the campaign after fitness issues curtailed his availability in the opening weeks.
Since his return, Foden has yet to register a single-goal contribution across 452 minutes for club and country in the 2024/25 season.
His measly record of four goals in total (with just one at a major tournament) from his 42 senior caps will surely see him drop out.
Attempting to squeeze too many similar profiles into the same team proved Carsley’s undoing against Greece.
Madueke has scored four goals for Chelsea in the opening seven Premier League gamesGetty
Saka couldn’t continue against Greece and is almost certain to sit out
One player who will not be available is Curtis Jones, who has returned to Liverpool due to a prior commitment.
Elsewhere, Noni Madueke, who has so often had to play second-fiddle to Palmer, may now get a rare chance to shine in his absence.
Chelsea have been keen to manage Palmer’s workload and he was forced to withdraw from Carsley’s last squad with a hamstring issue.
Such is his quality that England’s Player of the Year may still start, but the lack of pace on offer across the attack could see him rested.
Madueke is yet to start a senior international and marked his debut against Finland last month with an assist for Kane.
He was Carsley’s preferred option on the right to replace Bukayo Saka, who will also miss the Finland game through injury.
How England could line-up against Finland
Defence was arguably the most suspect part of Carsley’s set-up in midweek, with Greece putting the ball in the back of the net five times.
Despite this, Jordan Pickford has enough international credit in the bank to feel under threat for his No.1 spot in goal.
Levi Colwill impressed as John Stones‘ partner, but England’s issues at left-back could mean his versatility will be needed out wide.
Marc Guehi would likely be the chief beneficiary to enjoy an England recall, with Trent Alexander-Arnold retaining his spot at right-back.
talkSPORT understands that Guehi is likely to reclaim his place.
