Lee Carsley has thrown out the SOS signal, and who else could answer but England’s captain, Harry Kane? After hobbling through England’s embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley, Kane is back in action, and just in time for a must-win showdown against Finland.
With two full days of training under his belt, Kane looks set to lead the line again, as England desperately tries to salvage their Nations League campaign. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has made his way back to the Emirates for hamstring treatment, leaving Carsley with one less option on the field for the Finland clash.
England’s interim boss Carsley might just be playing for his own job at this point, with his future tied to how well England performs in the Nations League. Experimenting with Jude Bellingham in a false nine role against Greece was, shall we say, less than successful. The verdict? England needs Kane, plain and simple. “He’s irreplaceable,” Carsley declared, as if anyone needed reminding.
Both Kane and Jack Grealish, who missed the Greece match, were declared fit and ready to go. “They both trained Friday, trained today, and they’re good to go,” Carsley confirmed, no doubt breathing a sigh of relief. As for Kane, Carsley couldn’t praise him enough: “What does Harry bring? He leads by example. He’s a fantastic captain, a great positive person to have around. His goalscoring speaks for itself, and we should appreciate what we have.”
And when asked if Kane, with his 68 goals in 100 caps, is still untouchable in the squad, Carsley didn’t hesitate: “He’s proved it time and time again. His goals for England, Bayern, and Tottenham are something we should appreciate more.”
Now, with the Finland match looming, the pressure’s on. And for those fans eager to have their say, Carsley is all ears: “Get involved! How should England line up against Finland? Let us know in the comments!” (Yes, really, he’s asking for your starting XI.)
Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka is sitting this one out. After limping off against Greece, Saka’s return to fitness is Arsenal’s priority now. The England medical team had hoped Saka might be fit for Finland, but they weren’t willing to roll the dice on his recovery. Carsley reassured fans: “Bukayo was close, but it wouldn’t have been fair to take the risk. He’s positive, and I expect him to be fine for Bournemouth.”
All eyes are now on Sunday’s game – Kane’s back, and England’s Nations League hopes might just depend on him.
