Kane is out against Greece

New interim England boss Lee Carsley will be without his captain in a Nations League game against Greece, but that should not be the problem. Apart from the Bayern Munich striker, the Three Lions have two more than capable forwards to score against Greece: Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke. One of those two will lead the line tonight in a match in which the England team will have a new vice-captain – John Stones. The Manchester City veteran is Carsley’s choise despite the fact that his teammate Kyle Walker as the vice-captain during EURO 2024 games.

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Kane suffered the knock in a collision while playing for Bayern Munich in their 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend. The 31-year-old striker -- England's record goal-scorer -- has been unable to train with the rest of the squad since linking up on Monday. Kane was limited to an individual training programme on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Carsley insisting he would not risk his fitness in the Group B2 tie at Wembley.

"Harry's nursing an injury, a small knock. Something that we won't take a chance with. We're not ruling him out yet of the game, but he won't start the game. Hopefully he'll be in contention then for Sunday against Finland but, again, time will tell. It's not something I think we should be rushing" Carsley told reporters.

In Kane's absence, Manchester City defender John Stones will captain England for the first time on Thursday.

"It's a brilliant achievement for John. Something that he deserves. The amount of caps he's got, the experience he's got, the level of professionalism that he shows within the squad, the example he is to the younger players" Carsley said. Stones' City team-mate Jack Grealish could be sidelined against Greece after the winger sat out training on Wednesday. Cole Palmer is expected to continue his remarkable rise by making his first competitive England start on Thursday.