Greece – England: 9 Players Withdrawn

Tonight, England is set to try to avenge their loss against Greece at Wembley a month ago, but interim manager Lee Carsley is facing challenging conditions.

A total of nine players have withdrawn from the squad, and not all of the absences are equally well-justified. The Premier League is in a tough, potentially decisive period, and managers are hesitant to send key players to what are ultimately fairly meaningless international matches. Bukayo Saka was injured in the previous match against Greece, forcing him to miss two following games for Arsenal. Unsurprisingly, the winger is among the nine who have withdrawn this time.

Top 4 Clubs With the most No-shows

Saka has been mentioned, but his teammate Declan Rice is also absent for England. The midfielder left last weekend’s match against Chelsea with twenty minutes remaining, and Rice is also playing with a broken toe. It’s mainly the top teams holding back players. Trent Alexander-Arnold had to leave the pitch in the first half during Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday, and the right-back has now withdrawn from the international matches. Manchester City has kept both Phil Foden and Jack Grealish home, while Chelsea’s duo Cole Palmer and Lewi Colwill are also staying behind as England prepares to play for points in the Nations League.

In addition, Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has withdrawn after sustaining a finger fracture, and Jarrad Branthwaite was brought in as his replacement—only for him to also withdraw. Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah will now take his place in the squad.

Unhappy Team Captain

The numerous withdrawals have received media attention, and the situation only escalated further after team captain Harry Kane commented on the development.

“I believe England comes before everything else. It’s a tough period in the season, and maybe it’s been exploited a bit, which I don’t like. I believe England comes before everything, before any club situation. Gareth Southgate was very clear on this. He wasn’t afraid to make decisions if things got out of hand,” Kane told the English press earlier this week.

Manager Carsley faces his last two games before being succeeded by Tuchel, and he can do little but accept the situation.

“Our focus has been on the players who are here. With so many withdrawing, it gives other players a chance to step up. The players who are here deserve to be here and are proud to represent their country. They are highly motivated for the game,” Carsley said.

England Returning to Familiar Formation

Lee Carsley was without the mentioned Kane in the previous encounter with Greece, but chose to start that game with an exceptionally offensive lineup. England started without a dedicated striker but instead with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer in the midfield. This approach proved costly, as Greece found free passage forward. England seemed to have salvaged a point when Bellingham equalized the Greek lead in the 87th minute, but the visiting team deservedly took all three points home after Vangelis Pavlidis scored in stoppage time.

Betting Tips

Initially, an English comeback seemed likely tonight, but the numerous withdrawals have deterred us from placing that bet. Greece found new motivation after the match at Wembley and will likely attack again at home in front of their own fans. England rarely leaves the field without scoring, while Greece has scored at least two goals in each of their first four Nations League matches this season. We’re betting on both teams to score.