Gareth Southgate has been handed a major injury boost ahead of England's World Cup opener with Iran. The Three Lions start their campaign at the Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, on Monday.
England are favourites to progress in Group B as clashes against Iran, USA and Wales are all expected to be winnable tasks. Nevertheless, Southgate has included some injury doubts in his squad.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has been absent for some time after undergoing surgery on his groin in early October. Whether he'll be fit enough to play on Monday remains to be seen but Southgate's gamble seems to be paying off so far.
READ NEXT: Full list of Arsenal players going to Qatar 2022 World Cup including Thomas Partey decision
His club teammate, Kalvin Phillips, has also spent most of the season on the sidelines as a result of a shoulder injury. He's only played nine minutes under Pep Guardiola in the Premier League, but following a stellar performance at Euro 2020, he's been trusted to do a job in Qatar.
Leicester City star James Maddison also suffered an injury scare on Saturday after he was forced off with a knee issue during the 2-0 win over West Ham, although the Leicester manager, Brendan Rodgers, said after the game that his withdrawal was "precautionary." The midfielder will be hoping that he's fit enough to take the field against Iran as England hope to get off to a good start.
Meanwhile, although it's not necessarily an injury concern, Harry Maguire hasn't been playing regular football at club level. The centre-back is one of Southgate's most trusted defenders but Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has preferred to start both Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez recently. His absence has led to obvious questions over whether he's 100% match-ready, but Southgate is confident that his experience will help the team.
Positively, all four were involved in training on Wednesday, as all 26 England stars made it out to the pitch in Doha. Whilst that's bound to give Southgate a selection headache on the weekend, it's certainly a boost heading into the competition, and one that England's boss will be thankful for.
READ NEXT:
Full list of Arsenal players going to Qatar 2022 World Cup including Thomas Partey decision
Full list of Chelsea transfer targets going to Qatar 2022 World Cup amid Boehly scouting mission
Full list of Tottenham players going to Qatar 2022 World Cup as Eric Dier, Rodrigo Bentancur in
England World Cup fixtures 2022: UK kick-off times and knockout dates
World Cup 2022 supercomputer reveals England chances after Gareth Southgate announces squad
