England coach Lee Carsley shrugs off his role, Bukayo Saka limps away

Interim England coach Lee Carsley has distanced himself from taking on a full-time role, suggesting he would like to return to his previous role as under-21 coach.

Carsley is considered favorite to succeed Gareth Southgate as permanent manager after being appointed by the FA for three international breaks in September, October and November, and appeared to boost his chances with wins over the Republic of Ireland and Finland last month have.

But after Thursday's shock 2-1 defeat to Greece – England's first ever loss to the Greeks – at Wembley Stadium, the 50-year-old appeared to downplay his prospects.

“I was pretty surprised after last camp in terms of 'The job is mine' and 'It's mine to lose' and everything else,” Carsley said at a news conference. “My area of ​​responsibility was clear from the start. I do three camps. There are still three games left and then hopefully I’ll go back to the U21s.”

Carsley was asked to clarify whether he “hopes” to be back with the under-21s but refused to elaborate on whether or not he wanted the senior job beyond the next break.

“I said at the beginning that I wouldn’t include or exclude myself, and that’s still the case,” he said. “I feel comfortable in my position and the mission is clear. I feel comfortable with it and am confident. After the first camp I wasn't too excited and didn't believe too much. I'm very aware that this is one of the best jobs in the world in terms of the chance of actually winning a major competition.

Meanwhile, Carsley confirmed that Bukayo Saka will undergo tests after the Arsenal striker limped off the pitch early in the second half against Greece.

“He’s being investigated,” he said. “Obviously you could see in the lead-up to the first goal that he felt something in his leg.”