England’s interim manager, Lee Carsley, is contemplating a bold strategy for Thursday’s Nations League showdown with Greece, with Jude Bellingham potentially stepping into the role of a false nine—a position he has effectively occupied for Real Madrid. This tactical adjustment comes as captain Harry Kane is expected to miss the match due to an ankle injury.

According to a report by Matt Law from The Telegraph, Carsley is weighing various alternatives, including Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke, but is seriously considering deploying Bellingham as a false nine. This decision would position him alongside an array of attacking talents such as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Anthony Gordon.

Although Bellingham has yet to score for Real Madrid this season, he concluded the previous campaign with an impressive tally of 27 goals for both club and country, showcasing his ability to thrive in a false nine role. Implementing this tactical shift could enable Palmer and Foden to play deeper in midfield alongside Declan Rice, while Saka and Gordon would provide width on the flanks.

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Carsley’s consideration of Bellingham for this position might surprise some fans, as it diverges from traditional forward choices like Watkins, who netted England’s winning goal as a substitute in the European Championship semi-final against the Netherlands and has scored four times for Aston Villa this season. Solanke has also been in fine form, contributing three goals for Tottenham.

Carsley emphasized the flexibility offered by the depth in the No. 9 position, stating, “We’ve got plenty of options in that position but obviously Harry’s been the outstanding player for so long for us now. But I feel like we’ve definitely got a Plan B.”

This match against Greece represents a pivotal moment for Carsley in his pursuit of the permanent England manager role. Successfully integrating Bellingham into this new role could create a more cohesive attacking unit, featuring talents like Foden, Palmer, and Bellingham—an objective that could define his tenure.

Reflecting on his strategic planning, Carsley shared, “The beauty of this job is you get a lot of time to think. In between driving from game to game you are constantly thinking about combinations, relationships.”

This challenge of aligning England’s top talents in the lineup parallels a dilemma faced by former manager Gareth Southgate, who struggled to incorporate Bellingham, Foden, and Palmer effectively during the European Championship. Carsley is committed to avoiding a similar outcome, seeking innovative methods to maximize the contributions of his young stars.

Palmer, who outperformed Bellingham and Saka as England’s men’s player of the year, is poised for a larger role following his standout performances for Chelsea. Carsley commended Palmer’s current form, noting, “He’s highly rated, he’s getting minutes, he’s showing that he can handle the intensity of playing game after game…when you talk about players who are in form, the fact that he’s getting so much exposure and his numbers in terms of goals and assists is brilliant for us.”

With England set to face Finland in Helsinki just three days after the Greece match, Carsley is likely to rotate his lineup, using these fixtures to further explore optimal tactical configurations. He remains focused on establishing a system that best utilizes his key players’ skills. Discussing Foden’s contributions, Carsley remarked, “Phil’s an unbelievable player; we’re very lucky to have someone with his talent and mentality, and we need to make sure we put him in positions where he can really affect the opposition.”