Fifty-five days after their Euro 2024 heartbreak in Berlin, England return to action when they travel to face the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League on Saturday (17:00 BST).
It is a new era for the Three Lions, with Gareth Southgate’s eight-year reign having ended with his resignation two days after a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final on 14 July.
Lee Carsley, who led England to victory in the European Under-21 Championship in 2023, has been appointed interim manager.
But who has a point to prove as England get their Nations League campaign under way in Dublin before hosting Finland at Wembley next Tuesday (19:45)?
BBC Sport takes a look at some of those looking to make an impression in the next few days.
Some of the biggest managerial names in world football have been linked to the England job, but for the next two games at least, Carsley has a chance to show what he can bring to the role.
With qualifying for the 2026 World Cup due to start next March, the Football Association will want to make a permanent appointment soon.
Former Everton midfielder Carsley, 50, will be hoping his brand of football – dubbed “Carsball” – impresses supporters and those entrusted to find the right candidate to take England to the World Cup in two years’ time.
Despite reaching the Euros final, England’s performances in Germany were largely indifferent and the fans want more adventurous football and the team to play with more freedom.
Southgate was appointed Three Lions boss on a permanent basis two months after stepping up from his role as England Under-21 manager.
Will the same thing happen to Carsley?
A lot will depend on the next two games, but he talks with authority and is determined to do things his way – similar to how Arne Slot has taken charge at Liverpool following nine years of Jurgen Klopp.
“It was important to put my own stamp on it a bit while recognising what players have done in the past when we have got so close,” Carsley said after naming his 26-man squad to face the Republic of Ireland and Finland.
Looking at the interim task put before him, Carsley said: “I think it is a real proud moment obviously for my family and myself.
“It has been a really hectic couple of weeks getting my head around the magnitude of the job, getting around to see as many matches as I can.”
Carsley handed maiden senior England call-ups to Chelsea forward Noni Madueke, 22, Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, 24, Newcastle defender Tino Livramento, 21, and Lille‘s London-born midfielder Angel Gomes, 24.
He has also retained a core of Southgate’s mainstays while firmly applying his own stamp.
BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty described Carsley’s selections as “bold without being reckless”, adding: “There is certainly plenty to be excited about with a heavy presence of England’s gifted young brigade.”
Madueke has four goals in four games this season, including a hat-trick against Wolves, while Gibbs-White has also impressed in Forest’s unbeaten start.
Croydon-born Livramento had several international options as his mother is from Scotland and his father is from Portugal, but he is now hoping to establish himself in a Three Lions shirt.
Former Manchester United player Gomes will be playing in the Champions League this season with Lille, whose fixtures include Real Madrid (home), Juventus (home and Liverpool (away).
Jack Grealish is back in the fold after his omission from Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.
The Manchester City wide midfielder, 28, helped England qualify for that tournament and played as a substitute in the friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina shortly before the finals.
But he was left out of the trimmed group, later describing the experience as the “most difficult thing I have had to deal with in my career”.
Grealish has started one of City’s opening three Premier League games.
“When you are on your holidays, every time you turn on the phone or the TV you just see it [the tournament], so it was hard not to see,” said the former Aston Villa player, who has 36 England caps.
“I was absolutely heartbroken. For myself now moving forward, I have to just try and use that as motivation going into this season.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold has started the post-Klopp era well at Liverpool. Will he begin the post-Southgate era by impressing Carsley?
Full-back Alexander-Arnold was used in an experimental central midfield role at Euro 2024 but found himself out of the side after two games.
He recovered to score the decisive spot-kick in the penalty shootout against Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
Carsley has made it clear there will be no experiments this time after naming Alexander-Arnold in his squad while omitting Kyle Walker, who played every minute at Euro 2024.
“I think for me, for this camp especially, he’ll be a right-back playing in defence,” said Carsley about Alexander-Arnold.
“At some point I imagine we’ll see Trent arriving into that kind of [midfield] area, but I see him as a right-back.”
