England have seen one of their best midfielders return to training on Thursday.
Declan Rice has returned to England’s team training ahead of their upcoming World Cup match against France.
The West Ham captain couldn’t participate in England’s training on Wednesday. However, he has fully recovered from his illness two days ahead of the Three Lions’ clash against France.
Kalvin Phillips, who has recovered from an injury himself, said he’s ready to cover for Rice’s unlikely absence in a pre-match press conference.
“I believe Dec is fit, he’s back in training and he’s fine,” the Manchester City star said.
He added: “If something goes wrong, then I’ll be there and I’ll do my best to be fit for 90 minutes. I want to play as many minutes as possible.”
Rice has started every game for England so far, fending off competition from Phillips. However, the two players might play together against France as the Three Lions need more defensive stability.
Jude Bellingham has shown wonderful quality so far in the tournament. With Rice returning to the squad, he will most likely continue his role at the heart of England’s midfield unit against the defending champions.
One of England’s main sources of concern for the game is Kylian Mbappe’s incredible form. But Phillips has no doubt Kyle Walker can effectively control the PSG superstar.
“We know he [Mbappe] is an amazing player and he has been one of the top players for the last few years.
“But if there was anyone I would like to put up against Mbappe, it would be Kyle Walker because he is an unbelievable defender and probably the only one that is quicker than him as well.”
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