Harry Kane set to be named on the BENCH against Greece as Lee Carsley considers handing Premier League star a rare start in Nations League clash

Lee Carsley is set to leave Harry Kane on the bench for England’s UEFA Nations League clash against Greece on Thursday evening as the team captain continues to recover from a slight injury complaint.

The interim Three Lions head coach is overseeing his final two games in the role with England travelling to Athens before hosting Republic of Ireland at Wembley on Sunday.

Carsley is weighing up whether to leave the England skipper on the bench in a surprise attacking move that previously didn’t work in the reverse fixture last month.

Greece secured a famous 2-1 victory over England at Wembley in October after Carsley opted against rushing Kane back from a slight knock and instead started Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in a two-man strikeforce.

The 50-year-old ignored the obvious choice of starting Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins or Tottenham talisman Dominic Solanke upfront on that occasion and later admitted his tactical change didn’t work.

Interim England boss Lee Carsley is considering starting Kane on the bench against Greece

‘It is something I will look back on in two or three months and be better for it,’ Carsley previously said of the defeat by Greece.

‘I wanted to give this job my best shot for the three camps. I didn’t want to have any regrets. It was important that we do try something different at times.

‘It’s important that I’ve got trust and support from the team. I think that then pays forward. The praise that me and the players got from the first few games was very good,’ he added at the time.

Now, Carsley appears set to rely on other attackers against Greece with Kane’s starting position at risk just a day after the Three Lions skipper hit out at some players for withdrawing from the England squad.

Carsley is instead believed to be considering starting Watkins against Greece in what would be a rare start for the 28-year-old.

Meanwhile, Kane slammed a cohort of his England stars for ‘taking advantage of a tough period of the season’ after nine players withdrew from the Three Lions camp.

The national team captain – who himself has a slight injury niggle – issued an astonishing riposte to the colleagues who have withdrawn from international duty by insisting playing for your country is more important than club football.

The Bayern Munich striker, when asked what one aspect of previous boss Gareth Southgate’s reign senior players must ensure isn’t lost, Kane answered: ‘I think the joy to play for England. I think he brought that back.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is expected to be given the nod to start upfront in Athens

Kane and Watkins have been training together at St George’s Park ahead of the encounter

‘Every camp, people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and that’s the most important thing.

‘I think England comes before anything. It comes before club and it is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer.

‘I think it’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit.

‘I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think as I just said there England comes before before anything, any club situation.’