Bukayo Saka injury update with Arsenal star set to miss England’s Nations League clash with Finland

LEE CARSLEY’S tactical experimentation of playing nary strikers backfired arsenic Vangelis Pavlidis’ treble secured an affectional daze triumph for Greece astatine Wembley.

Interim England brag Carsley played each 3 of our nation’s talented No10s - Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer - successful varying positions.

But it did not enactment and the Greeks took a deserved pb acknowledgment to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.

The visitors past held up a garment successful solemnisation bearing the sanction Baldock - successful notation to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing astatine the property of conscionable 31 connected Wednesday rocked the satellite of football.

Bellingham looked to person ensured the points were shared with a thunderous onslaught with 3 minutes to go.

But determination was inactive clip for Pavlidis to exposure immoderate woeful defending heavy into wounded clip by firing past Jordan Pickford.

Here are SunSport’s subordinate ratings from a dire nighttime for England nether the arch.

Jordan Pickford: 4

Wandered into no-man’s-land territory extracurricular his container aboriginal connected and mislaid the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a escaped changeable astatine extremity - lone to beryllium saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, contempt his experience.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6

Some tasty passes - they are his speciality, aft each - but not large astatine the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were anemic successful their effort to adjacent down Vangelis Pavlidis earlier the Benfica antheral smashed location the opener.

John Stones: 5

Made skipper for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky show from his defence and Stones should person done amended to halt Pavlidis.

Levi Colwill: 7

Greece would person been up acold sooner were it not for Colwill’s diversion hack distant to contradict Bakasetas. Replays showed it would person crossed the enactment had the Chelsea antheral been a divided 2nd aboriginal with his unthinkable intervention.

Rico Lewis: 6

Tried to weaponry up the near flank wherever helium could but, conscionable similar Kieran Trippier astatine the Euros, was hamstrung by perpetually having to chopped backmost onto his favoured close foot.

Declan Rice: 6

Played arsenic England’s lone holding midfielder, arsenic fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to usage him for years. It was not similar helium was overrun but his broadside did look susceptible connected the counter.

Phil Foden: 4

Spent astir of the crippled pressing the Greek backline arsenic a mendacious 9 without truly getting connected the shot and causing immoderate damage. Ineffective. 

Cole Palmer: 6

Deployed successful a deeper, central-midfield relation which astatine slightest meant helium saw plentifulness of the ball, though helium blazed England’s champion accidental of the archetypal fractional implicit the bar. Remarkably, his archetypal competitory England start, contempt being named connected Tuesday arsenic Three Lions subordinate of the 2023-24 season. 

Bukayo Saka: 5

Struggled to get into the crippled and past was forced retired of it, worryingly limping disconnected aboriginal successful the 2nd half. The past happening Arsenal fans wanted to see.

Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MAN

Played successful a mendacious 9 presumption and had a belting aboriginal changeable good saved. The strategy did not enactment but Bellingham inactive truthful astir emerged arsenic the saviour by banging successful his archetypal extremity of the play for nine and country.

Anthony Gordon: 5

Caused Greece fewer problems and his interaction looked disconnected it. Had a decent accidental from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a transportation but headed over.

SUBS: 

Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played retired connected the left, alternatively than his earthy right, erstwhile coming on. Went down successful the container heavy into wounded clip but nary punishment was given. 6

Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his archetypal interaction erstwhile played done by Palmer, but smashed conscionable over. 7

Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assistance erstwhile laying the shot backmost to Bellingham who thumped successful the leveller. 7

Manager Lee Carsley: 4

Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental strategy alternatively of playing it harmless to adhd different triumph to boost his lawsuit to gain the occupation full-time. Carsley played without a earthy centre-forward erstwhile winning the Under-21 Euros due to the fact that helium had to aft Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but present helium did it by prime and it did not work. Bellingham looked to person saved his bacon - but past Pavlidis struck again.