Harry Kane was back in England for training on Thursday, but James Maddison was once again absent from the squad.
The Leicester City midfielder was selected in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man World Cup squad despite a minor knock, and has yet to be involved in any away training with his teammates.
England revealed On Thursday morning, Maddison “continues to work on the inside” as the rest of the squad prepare for their next clash against the United States.
talkSPORT’s Faye Carruthers has confirmed his absence from the pitch during their Al Wakrah training camp, with uncertainty now being raised over the 26-year-old’s potential involvement in Qatar: “Maddison is not absent [training with the group] Again.
“It raised questions as to whether or not potentially he should have been taken out of the 26 and substituted ahead of that first game for Iran.
“When I sat down and spoke to Gareth Southgate the day before that game, when they still had the option until midnight to replace him if needed, he still didn’t know if he was going to be able or not appear in any match.Training session.
“We’ve been here ten days and he hasn’t had any outdoor training sessions yet, so that’s a big worry.”
While Maddison may not yet be fit to play for England in the World Cup, fans will be delighted to see Kane back on the training ground.
The Three Lions captain was thought to be a doubt for the United game following an ankle injury against Iran, but Southgate confirmed that after a scan the striker will be fit to play on Friday.
He told ITV: “He’s good. He was working a little more individually today [Wednesday]. But he’ll be back with the team tomorrow [Thursday] and he will be good for the game.
The England boss also added: “We just checked it. I think sometimes when you deal with things it’s important to know exactly what’s there and that was very good.
“It’s not so much the ankle, it’s more the foot. It was a mediocre challenge, but we did pretty well.
A victory for England against the United States would see them qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup after just two games, with Wales being their final test in Group B next Tuesday.
It remains to be seen whether Maddison will get any minutes in Qatar, but he could face an uphill battle to get into the starting lineup if their performance against Iran is up to snuff.
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