Harry Kane injury worry with England striker poised to miss Greece showdown

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins may replace the England captain in Lee Carsley’s starting XI

England captain Harry Kane is likely to miss the Uefa Nations League fixture against Greece after he missed out team training on the eve of the Wembley clash.
Kane, who suffered a leg injury with Bayern Munich at the weekend but linked up with Lee Carsley’s squad, underwent individual training at St George’s Park away from the rest of the squad in the final session before the double-header over the next five days.
Carsley has brought in Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones for his first senior call-up, while Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento has also been drafted in after initially being picked for the Under-21s.
Jones was part of the Under-21 team that won 2023 European Championship with Carsley last year and has been on the fringe of the senior squad with his performances at Anfield. Jack Grealish, meanwhile, also sat out training with a minor knock, with the problem described as a precaution ahead of England also facing Finland on Sunday in Helsinki.
Kane has not missed a competitive game for England in almost a year, when he was rested and brought off the bench in the draw against North Macedonia with Euro 2024 qualification already secured.
After an injury at the end of last season he was also on the bench for a Euros warm-up against Bosnia but during the tournament started in every game despite having his form questioned as England reached the final.
He has since denied he was injured, offering no excuses for his form dropping below his expected level. This season the 31-year-old has scored 10 goals in nine games for Bayern but his performances have not been without criticism – he was described by German newspaper Bild as “invisible” in the Champions League defeat to Aston Villa.
Last month he scored the two goals in the 2-0 win over Finland on his 100th cap for England, although Carsley may now have to look at alternatives for the Greece fixture.
Villa striker Ollie Watkins is the obvious candidate to step in, with his goal in the Euro semi-final taking England within sight of a first tournament win since 1966. Dominic Solanke has been rewarded for his start at Tottenham with a first call-up in almost seven years.
“I’ve come a long way since last time I was here and I played a lot of football, got a lot of experience, and I feel great in confidence right now. If I’m called upon, I’ll definitely be ready,” said Solanke.