Declan Rice has returned to training for the England World Cup quarterfinal matchup against France.
The absence of West Ham captain Declan Rice and Newcastle’s Callum Wilson from England’s training session on Wednesday concerns in light of the upcoming match against the defending world champions.
Wilson missed the game owing to a minor muscular injury, while the midfielder sat out due to sickness and is now expected to be fit to return.
In a pre-game news conference, Kalvin Phillips said of Rice, “I feel Dec is fit, he’s back in training, and he’s OK.
He said, “If anything goes wrong, I’ll be there and try my best to be in shape for 90 minutes. I want to play as much as possible.”
Phillips has had to play second fiddle to Rice in Qatar since he has only just returned from a long injury layoff. Consequently, Rice has started every game for Gareth Southgate and played a crucial role at the base of the midfield.
The Three Lions are expected to employ a more defensive formation against France, so it is possible that the two may play together. However, Phillips’ lack of match fitness and Jude Bellingham’s excellent World Cup performance make it doubtful that the Manchester City player would start.
Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling is returning to Qatar to rejoin the England camp after returning to the United Kingdom after a break-in at his Surrey home.
