Harry Kane faces late fitness test with Lee Carsley to make England debut in must-win match against Greece
Curtis Jones is in line to make his England debut against Greece tonight, talkSPORT understands.
Interim England manager Lee Carsley is willing to trust him Liverpool star Jones to fill the void in midfield left by the withdrawal by Declan Rice.
Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins is on standby to start the must-win game up front if captain Harry Kane It's not in top shape.
Kane is currently believed to be suffering from a knock and, although he took part in full training on Wednesday, it is unclear whether the captain will play or not.
This comes a day later Kane appeared to criticize some of his own England teammates for not making the effort to report for international duty if they have a knock, and the skipper made an effort to join despite not being 100 per cent fit.
However, one man who will play is Liverpool's Jones, who will make his long-awaited debut for the Three Lions.
The 23-year-old was called up to former England manager Gareth Southgate's preliminary squad for Euro 2024 but did not make the final 26-man cut.
He is one of several students from the England under-21 team that won the European Championship last year, coached by Carsley.
Jones, who has 94 Premier League appearances, has put in some impressive performances for Liverpool under Arne Slot and believes his latest call-up was deserved.
“I think the form at the club is what's important and this call-up only comes because of how hard I'm doing things at the club,” Jones said.
“I am no longer a young boy. I have had the experience of Champions League and Premier League matches.
“I've been here long enough to know that I want to be on that team. I want to keep my place and my jersey by scoring goals and assists and I feel like I'm on the right path.”
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Watkins has five England starts under his belt and has scored four goals, including an unforgettable last-minute goal to sink the Netherlands into the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
The Aston Villa striker enjoyed a run of five goals in five Premier League games but has since failed to score in his last five games in all competitions.
Regardless of whether Watkins or Kane start at the top, Carsley desperately needs them fired given the Nations League stipulations at stake for England.
If the Three Lions want to be promoted back to League A, victory over Greece is a must as they have a three-point lead over England in Group B2.
However, if England cannot beat Greece, it will likely condemn them to a promotion play-off, where they would face one of the third-placed teams in League A.
England's match against Greece – live on talkSPORT – starts at 7:45 pm
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Greece vs England: talkSPORT Betting Odds
Match Odds:
Greece – 10/31
Draw – 9/4
England – 5/6
*odds subject to change
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