England vs Greece LIVE: Nations League team news, line-ups and ...

As part of his pre-match media duties John Stones suggested that he told Cole Palmer not to leave Man City, but is still enjoying seeing his rise at Stamford Bridge.

“I was a huge fan of Cole as soon as he came into our first-team set up, what he brought to the game, how he played as if he was in the park,” he said.

“I was sad to see him leave, I made him aware of that, but what he has gone on and done is a credit to him, how he’s conducted himself, how he’s stepped up in big moments.

“He is in a good moment, and I hope that continues for as long as possible. Scoring in the final, he has experienced those big games now and big moments and hopefully there is more of that to come.”

And the Greece line up is as follows:

Vlachodimos, Rota, Mavropanos, Koulierakis, Giannoulis, Kourbelis, Bakasetas, Siopis, Masouras, Tzolis, Pavlidis

Here’s the lineup for England:

Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Colwill, Lewis, Rice, Foden, Palmer, Saka, Bellingham, Gordon

Greece looking to extend winning run

Greece arrive at Wembley as League B Group 2 leaders after wins in the opening two games against Finland and Republic of Ireland.

They are ahead of England on goals scored, so this match could go a long way to deciding who finishes top of the group and therefore wins promotion to League A.

Greece are playing well but have not played in a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They last played England in an international friendly in 2006 when they lost 4-0 at Old Trafford.

Palmer’s first start?

As the hottest property in the Premier League at the moment, it is strange to think Cole Palmer has yet to start a competitive game for his country.

That stat did not stop him being named as England’s player of the year for 2023/24. Given his form for Chelsea, Carsley will surely select him in his starting XI against Greece.

The interim boss has hinted Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are all unlikely to start together in this international break so which position Palmer may get the nod will be interesting.

Carsley to cement his position?

Lee Carsley has always maintained that he is on a three-camp mission following his appointment as interim boss in the wake of Gareth Southgate’s exit.

But the former Under-21s manager is beginning to get his feet under the table and has the opportunity to further enhance his chances of getting the job on a permanent basis.

He said that he felt at home on the Wembley touchline during last month’s win over Finland and if his side put on another impressive attacking display against Greece then he could win further support for the future.

Solanke’s long wait

If Harry Kane is not fit then it could open the door up for Dominic Solanke. The Tottenham striker is back in the England squad for the first time since 2017 when he made a 15-minute cameo as a substitute in a friendly against Brazil at Wembley.

Despite a seven-year exile he always believed he would be back at the top and had his debut shirt framed on his wall at home to use as motivation.

If Kane does not make it, then he will likely be vying with Ollie Watkins for a starting spot.

Will Harry Kane be fit?

There are big fitness doubts over captain Harry Kane following the injury he picked up playing for Bayern Munich at the weekend.

The striker came off against Eintracht Frankfurt with a knock but was passed fit by England’s medical staff on Monday.

However, he trained individually on Tuesday and with the tight turnaround, it remains to be seen whether the country’s record goalscorer will be fit.

Lee Carsley confirmed that he will not start but a substitute appearance hasn’t been ruled out.

John Stones says he pays no “attention” to the off-field issues surrounding Manchester City as it is something he “cannot control”, and that his position is to simply “put a lot of trust in the club”.

John Stones is excited for an “incredible moment” as he captains England for the first time against Greece on Thursday.

“It’s definitely everything that I could have dreamed of as a kid,” the defender said ahead of the game.

“For my family to be able to see me walk out as England captain is a special moment and one I can’t thank Lee enough for. It was a great conversation we had last night and one I was a bit speechless in.

“An incredible moment for me, it was a bit more normal today, everything resumed as normal, the preparation, the training that we’ve done and our focus.

“To be walking out with the armband on is an absolute honour and a moment I will cherish forever.”