Henry Winter
Football writer on BBC Radio 5 Live

These are important games, because if England don't win at least 2-0 in Athens tonight, in what is going to be a very difficult game - we saw how good the Greeks were at Wembley - then England and Thomas Tuchel's first games are going to be the March Nations League play-off to get out of the second tier and join the elite countries like Scotland.

Henry Winter
Football writer on BBC Radio 5 Live

The Nations League was brought in because people like me in the media and supporters, were complaining about meaningless friendlies. These are competitive fixtures, when England got to the semi-finals in Portugal a few years back, everyone was gathered around their TVs and there were 10, 15 thousand fans out there.

I think the nine players that have withdrawn are getting unfairly criticised. You should direct the criticism towards the club managers. I don't think you can dispute the patriotism of players like Bukayo Saka, when what he went through at Wembley with England and the racist abuse that he endured after missing that penalty and then he absolutely insisted on reporting for England duty, was one of the first ones in there.

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Charlie, from Barrow-in-Furness: "I think he's [Harry Kane] right because there's too many of the players, I'd rather have these players play for my club these days, I'd never hear myself say. I think the honour of playing for England has gone out the window. It seems to be for some of them."

John: "I think if you are asked to play for your country, no matter what sport, It's the ultimate honour. Football's gone daft."

Aaron: "Just the amount of games these players are unfortunately playing at the moment. Phil Foden will be playing in 11 games before the FA Cup third round. It's just not a priority for these players, just think of the amount of games they are playing."

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Should Thomas Tuchel be in Athens right now with England? And would those players who have pulled out through injury really have showed up? Let us know your thoughts via the usual channels.

In October, the German was appointed by the FA as the next permanent head coach, for an 18-month period from 1 January 2025 until the summer of 2026.

Explaining why Tuchel is starting in January, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We were always really clear with Lee that he had three international windows to run the Nations League and we think that was the right thing to do.

“Thomas was always clear that he wanted his absolute focus on the World Cup."

Henry Winter
Football writer on BBC Radio 5 Live

If you go through the 20 Premier League clubs and their injuries, 90 players are currently injured at the moment so this is not exclusively an English thing. You said about Thomas Tuchel starting 1 January - he should be starting now. If he was in Athens, some of those nine withdrawals will have turned up.

Katie Smith
BBC Radio 5 Live

One thing I've been wondering is if he [Harry Kane] will come out and contextualise his comments just a little bit more, because obviously, they've been picked up so quickly and ran with. I'm just wondering if he is talking about the optics of how this looks, in the sense that if Harry Kane ever misses a game with injury or has to pull out of the squad or is absent for one game, you always get the sense that he is hungry to get back as soon as possible.

I just wonder if, with some of the players, if that is what he is calling out. He's not necessarily saying, I don't believe you're injured. I just wonder if he wants them to maybe reporting and be around the younger guys, in the way he's helped build up confidence, build up that squad mentality. He's talked about what Gareth Southgate's fostered over the last few years and people wanting to be there.

Henry Winter
Football writer on BBC Radio 5 Live

Harry Kane, It's great that he's spoken out, but he does speak out as a Bayern Munich player who will have 20 days off during the Christmas period, during the Bundesliga winter break; 18 clubs in the Bundesliga, 20 in the Premier League.

His counterparts, as he said, have withdrawn, they will have four Premier League games in that period. They're all paid substantially by their clubs. This is a broader issue here, which the PFA and Fifpro, the global players' union, are highlighting about the crazy schedule in the calendar and player workflow.

England

England and Newcastle's Anthony Gordon spoke about wanting to be involved in the games against Greece and Republic of Ireland, which England need to win to top the Nations League group: "Exactly, that it is a lot of responsibility, it is a lot of pressure but that is what we chase, that is the fun bit about football. It’s getting over that line. We lost to them recently, so we have a point to prove, bit of a revenge game for us. We need to finish top of the group so no bigger goal for us."

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England

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England's Anthony Gordon on coming through the generations with his teammates and if that makes it better for success: One million percent. I was at the Euros where I didn’t know too many of the lads, I was fairly new to the squad, I can feel a difference from then to now, this is basically my whole under twenty one’s team. So, lads I have grown up with, Curtis is one of my best friends in life, not just football. So, I definitely feel a difference with them there."

On whether he sees this Greece match as an opportunity to cement his position or as a trial for the next manager to come in: "I think it will start all over again. A new trial when he comes in, but it certainly won’t do me any harm if I play well on Thursday because I am sure he will be watching. I think he will want to see up close and personnel who he likes."

England

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England's Anthony Gordon on the feeling of playing for the national side among young players: "I do, I think so, because I think England created pathways for us early on that made football really enjoyable, sort of playing in the same groups for a while. So, we are seeing them groups of lads’ progress together which is really good. Last year I won at the Under-21 level, I have just always loved playing for England. The youth systems I don’t know what it is but the feeling of playing with a team of lads your own age, yeah, I don’t know I have always loved it."

When asked, "players like Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are the same, aren’t they?", Gordon said: "Yeah, they are. I think we are all the same. Like I said before it’s the biggest honour and getting selected as one of the best players in the country, in a country where the competition is really high. I can’t speak on their behalf, but I would imagine they feel the same way as me."

England

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England and Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon on his availability for the Nations League games: "I didn’t really have to tell [Newcastle]. They know how I feel about playing for England and my wishes anyway. It was more about coming here and getting assessed to see if I was fit to play and I was. If I was fit to play, I will play for England.

"The team I am playing right now is the most important one for me. That's what is in front of me. With England, it's a different feeling because you are selected among the best from every club. It's a special feeling.

"We can only focus on the players who are here and they are all top players. I've played with them. It is an opportunity for them to shine and do what they do best. They will take this opportunity for sure."

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At the top of the page right now you can watch a live stream of the Nicky Campbell phone-in on BBC Radio 5 Live.

The topic today is, Harry Kane: is he right?

Click the 'watch live' tab to tune in. All the information if you want to take part will be on the screen.

England

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England interim manager Lee Carsley on what test his side will face against Greece: "We have definitely prepared well for the game against Greece. They are very well organised. They are a good and strong team with a great history behind them.

"We definitely do not underestimate them. We know that they are very good at counter-attacking. It's going to be a sell-out crowd and a great atmosphere too.

"It's going to be a tough test for us and I am really looking forward to it. It's been a good week's training. The players are in good spirits."

England

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England interim manager Lee Carsley on the shock 2-1 Nations League loss to Greece in October: "I learned a lot of things from the defeat to Greece. First and foremost, the tempo we have to play at. We have to take the chances we create - really the basics, but it's a good reminder.

"Obviously, we tried something different that night. You will see something a bit more conventional this time in terms of how we play. But I still hope to play a good, attacking style and hopefully get a result.

"One of the negative things about international football is that you have to wait. There's four to five weeks of waiting between the games.

"This window is so important for us - not just the game against Greece, but the Republic of Ireland on Sunday too. It's two really tough games and a great challenge for us."

England

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England interim manager Lee Carsley on dealing with clubs when players are injured: "We have a really good relationship with the clubs, especially with the medical departments. So we are totally happy with where we are.

"We had doubts about some players during the squad announcement and that's why we had a bigger squad. They were assessed and sent back - no problems with that.

"I think the culture and the environment that Gareth [Southgate], Steve [Holland] and rest of the staff created has made it really positive."