This paves the way for a fascinating series of matches, with England, Spain and Norway forced to change their strategies and line-ups due to the absence of key players.
For interim England manager Lee Carsley and many of his counterparts across Europe, these next few days promise to be very challenging, however here lies the opportunity to place strategic bets.
Nations League: Match Day 5 | Odds |
|---|---|
Greece vs England: Jude Bellingham To Score or Assist | |
Denmark vs Spain: Under 2.5 Goals | |
Germany vs Bosnia-Herzegovina: Germany Win and Under 4 Goals |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
England's Youth Surge: Rising Stars Step Up
The Three Lions are perhaps facing the most significant upheaval.
Carsley's squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures has been hit by withdrawals from nine senior players, including Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Jack Grealish. The absence of these players, who collectively bring 240 caps worth of experience, compels Carsley to turn to younger, less seasoned prospects.
In a bold move, Carsley has opted to include six uncapped players in his squad, reflecting a strategic pivot towards integrating the "England pathway" talent he groomed during his tenure as Under-21 manager.
This decision has notably reduced the squad’s average age to just above 25 years, making it one of the least experienced in recent times.
This places additional pressure on seasoned players like Harry Kane and Kyle Walker, who together now account for nearly half of the squad's total number of caps. However, lack of international games might not necessarily be a problem for England in the games against Greece and Ireland.
The ‘Three Lions’ had the third youngest squad at Euro 2024, behind Turkey and Czech Republic, and yet reached the final.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham will be England’s focal point in attack, and will fancy his chances after having scored his first goal of the season last weekend.
Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers, who has shown promise with three goals and two assists in 11 games this season, is one of the players being thrust into the spotlight. Likewise, Liverpool's Curtis Jones, a familiar face in the England setup, yet curiously without a cap, might finally get his chance to make a significant impact.
Big boots to fill
England isn't the only team facing challenges. Belgium will line up without the electric Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere, while Norway faces the absence of their midfield maestro Martin Ødegaard.
Arsenal’s captain returned from an ankle injury to assist against Chelsea providing an assist for Gabriel Martinelli’s opener.
Odegaard has provided 11 assists in 61 games with this national side and his Premier League stats - 10 assists last season, 54.67 passes per game, and a 0.33 xA (expected assists), place him among the midfielders elite.
For Germany, the potential absence of Florian Wirtz is significant. The Bayer Leverkusen playmaker has contributed to 10 goals in 27 games and has started all of the last five matches for Die Mannschaft.
His injury could force national team coach Julian Nagelsmann to rely on fringe players, like Leroy Sané, who has scored only twice for Germany since 2022, or Julian Brandt, whose last international goal came in 2019, to fill the creative void against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy, Portugal, and Poland are also missing Samuele Ricci, Ruben Dias, and Robert Lewandowski, respectively.
Spain also finds themselves in a tough spot without Lamine Yamal, who has made the most attempts (10) for them in the tournament. Their defence, which has maintained three clean sheets in the last four games, is further weakened by Pau Torres's withdrawal.
In the absence of key figures due to injuries, Nations League matches will test squad depth, managerial acumen, and the collective resilience of national teams.Nevertheless, the absence of established stars can also act as a catalyst for unexpected players to take central stage.