Finland v England predictions: Palmer to shine in Three Lions reshuffle
- Finland have lost their last four competitive internationals
- England beat the Finns 2-0 last month
- Recommended bet: Cole Palmer to score anytime
Lee Carsley's bid to become England's next boss was derailed on Thursday night when his experimental side crashed at home to Greece in the Nations League, piling the pressure on this trip to Helsinki to take on Finland.
England's 2-1 loss to the Greeks was a disjointed effort, though they will be encouraged by the fact that Finland are bottom of the group on the back of three straight defeats.
Team news
Former Norwich City striker and Finland vice-captain Teemu Pukki came off the bench after injury against Ireland, so is in line to start.
Leo Vaisanen, Robert Taylor, Kaan Kairinen and Marcus Forss are all unavailable to Markku Kanerva.
Carsley will have to make a call over Harry Kane, who was ruled not fit enough to play against Greece, a game in which Bukayo Saka limped off.
The England boss will presumably play Kane (if fit), or Ollie Watkins, up front, having dispensed with a No.9 on Thursday, while Marc Guehi and Angel Gomes can also expect starts.
The stats
Finland have lost all three Nations League B matches and have lost their last four competitive fixtures. They haven't kept a clean sheet in eight.
They have never beaten England in eight attempts, losing six of those ties.
England have fired off 35 shots in their three matches to date, compared to Finland who have had 11.
Record scorer Harry Kane scored the last two of his 68 international goals in last month's 2-0 win over Finland in London.
Prediction
Lee Carsley paid the price for a bizarre team selection against Greece but back the England interim boss to get it right in Finland.
It has been over two years since England last lost back-to-back internationals, and there should be no fear of that happening against Kanerva's limited opposition.
The Finns have played three and lost three so far and were pretty tepid in going down 2-1 to Ireland in Helsinki on Thursday, a match in which they took the lead with one of only three shots they could manage on target. The Irish had ten.
Carsley blundered against Greece and has had that drilled into him, and that should mean restoring players to where they play week in, week out and the upshot ought to be a more clinical performance.
That means a recognised centre-forward permed from any of Kane, Watkins or Dominic Solanke, a defensive anchorman – Gomes – to slot into midfield and Cole Palmer returned to either the right or centre of the attack, where he has been flying for Chelsea.
The clamour to get Palmer into the team was deafening last week, so to see Carsley use him improperly alongside Declan Rice was a calamitous error from the caretaker.
Back on the part of a pitch where he shines for Chelsea, back Palmer to find the net.
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