With Lee Carsley managing England on an interim basis for the time being, the likes of Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Jack Grealish will be eager to impress him.
While only time will tell whether Carsley will manage the Three Lions permanently, in case he does land the job on a full-time basis, it will be important for the Manchester City quartet to be in his good books.
Lee Carsley praised Grealish after England beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday — as he seems to have already impressed the 50-year-old.
Kyle Walker honestly admitted that Lee Carsley’s decision to leave him out of the Three Lions squad for their games against Ireland and Finland was justified — considering he is yet to play a single minute for City this season.
It seems like Walker will have to earn Carsley’s trust ahead of the next international break in October.
Pep Guardiola claimed Phil Foden will return to the side soon after the international break comes to an end.
Townsend predicts which Man City player England interim manager Lee Carsley will rely on
However, Foden will also have to impress the former England Under-21 manager to cement his place in the side as his nation’s go-to attacking midfielder.
The Englishman has plenty of competition for a starting berth — with Grealish, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White all capable of playing in the number 10 role at a high standard.
John Stones will also be hoping to remain a starter under Lee Carsley.
But the £47 million man will be aware that unlike under Gareth Southgate, he will not virtually be guaranteed a starting spot under Carsley.
Especially if the former Brentford boss is handed the England job on a full-time basis, every player he picks will be provided a fresh slate to prove themselves to him.
However, Andros Townsend predicted while commentating on England’s clash against the Republic of Ireland that Stones will play a crucial role under Lee Carsley.
Townsend said on ITV1 (07/09/2024, 6:40 pm): “I am sure John Stones will be important for Lee Carsley in the five or so games the way he wants to play.”
John Stones will have to be consistently fit for Lee Carsley to depend on him
Stones’ calibre as a player has not been his biggest pitfall in the past few years and instead, it has been his fitness.
As a result, if the Manchester City centre-back intends to start regularly for England under Lee Carsley, he will have to be consistently available.
If Carsley is appointed by the FA on a permanent basis, he will have two years to assess his ideal starting line-up to feature at the 2026 World Cup.
However, if Stones is plagued by injuries time and time again, Lee Carsley will have no choice but to play other centre-halves over him and then potentially leave the seasoned campaigner out of his side.
The 30-year-old will have to ensure his performances for both club and country are at a standard which makes it impossible for the England interim manager to even consider dropping him.
Stones will likely work on his fitness starting this season to ensure he can play international football at the highest level for a few more years at least.
