England face Greece and Finland in the Nations League in the coming week as Lee Carsley looks to build on a strong start to life as caretaker manager, but he could be without some key players.
Carsley announced his England squad for the Nations League fixtures last Thursday, revealing the 25 players in line to play at Wembley and in Helsinki. Three players might have to withdraw, though, after picking up injuries for their club sides at the weekend.
This won’t be the first time Carsley has had to deal with a similar situation either, after Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins all withdrew from the September squad while Jude Bellingham wasn’t fit enough to be included in the first place.
England could be without Harry Kane, Ezri Konsa and Morgan Gibbs-White
Kane receives medical treatment (Image credit: Getty Images)
Harry Kane, Ezri Konsa and Morgan Gibbs-White might all have to withdraw from the England squad this week.
Kane went off injured during Bayern Munich‘s 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday in the 72nd minute. A collision required treatment on his right leg, with Mathys Tel then replaceing him shortly after.
This comes after Kane picked up a knock against Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, which also forced him to leave the pitch early. While he recovered to play 90 minutes against Aston Villa in the Champions League, these repeated setbacks could see him withdraw.
“It’s still too early to say what Kane has,” Kompany said after playing Eintracht Frankfurt. “We hope it’s nothing serious.”
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Konsa, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring issue against Manchester United, which saw him substituted in the first half of the game.
“I think it is [his] hamstring,” Unai Emery said via The Independent. “I don’t know if it is big or small.”
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Morgan Gibbs-White is also in a similar situation, with the Notttingham Forest midfielder replaced in the 77th minute against Chelsea from what seems like an impact injury. His manager Nuno Espirito Santo is hopeful it’s nothing serious, highlighting that he will undergo a scan on Monday to assess the extent of the issue.
“We are worried about him,” Espirito Santo said. “Hopefully, it is nothing and he can join up with the England squad. But he will have a scan tomorrow (Monday).
“It is important that it is nothing serious and that he can join them and play. But we also need him. Hopefully, it is not too serious.”
