MX23RW : Monday, December 19 20:32:17| >> :60:867:867:
[monks data]
Dec 10, 2022 at 7pm UK at Al Bayt Stadium
England
1 - 2
France
Kane (54' pen.)
Maguire (90')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Tchouameni (17'), Giroud (78')
Griezmann (43'), Dembele (46'), Hernandez (82')

Raheem Sterling returns to England training ahead of France clash

Raheem Sterling returns to England training ahead of France clash
© Reuters
Raheem Sterling returns to England training ahead of their World Cup quarter-final with France after flying back to Qatar following a break-in at his Surrey home.

Raheem Sterling has rejoined England training ahead of Saturday's World Cup 2022 quarter-final with France at the Al Bayt Stadium, but Gareth Southgate has admitted that he will need to carefully assess the forward before making his selection.

The 28-year-old was a last-minute withdrawal from the team to face Senegal in the last 16 due to what was described as a "family matter", as the Three Lions secured a 3-0 win in his absence.

That same evening, it was reported that Sterling's Surrey home had been broken into, and the Chelsea attacker immediately flew back to the UK amid concerns about his children's welfare.

Southgate did not put any pressure on Sterling to return for the remainder of England's World Cup campaign, but he has now rejoined the group in Al Wakrah and was pictured in training on Friday.

The former Manchester City man is expected to be available for selection when the Three Lions tackle Les Bleus on Saturday evening, although Southgate has hinted that Sterling may not be ready to start.

"We will have to assess that. He has missed a lot of training and had two long flights. That is not good preparation for a game of this standard but let's see how he is," Southgate told ITV Sport.

"He has felt the need to support his family and to be there for his family and that is a simple decision for me – I have to support the player. There are moments for every individual where family becomes most important. I'm always supportive of that.

"Of course I want the best players available and want to win football matches but as a manager you have to recognise there are certain moments in people's lives that are more important at that particular time."

Sterling started England's first two games of the 2022 World Cup against Iran and the USA, scoring once and providing one assist against the former before being dropped to the bench against Wales.

Phil Foden started on the left-hand side against Wales and scored England's second goal on the day, leading Southgate to select the Man City attacker for the last-16 clash with Senegal as well.

Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring for England on November 21, 2022© Reuters

Foden enjoyed another standout performance against the African champions, setting up Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka's goals after also playing a key part in Jude Bellingham's opener.

Sterling was one of a full 25-man squad to train on Friday ahead of the quarter-final, with West Ham United's Declan Rice now back on the practice pitches following a brief illness.

Callum Wilson has also shaken off a minor strain to make himself available, meaning that England's only absentee is Ben White, who left the camp due to personal reasons last week.

It has since been alleged that the Arsenal defender returned home after struggling to gel with the rest of the England squad, while he is also said to have had a disagreement with coach Steve Holland.

ID:501617:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6171:No Data Analysis info

Click here for more stories about Gareth Southgate

Click here for more stories about England

Game History

How you voted: England vs France

England
49.0%
France
51.0%
247
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring for England on November 21, 2022
Read Next:
Raheem Sterling to return to England camp ahead of France quarter-final
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Championship
Taca da Liga
Club Friendlies
Segunda Division
Serie B
Chinese Super League
NFL
FT
Giants
20-12
Washington
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal14121133112237
2Manchester CityMan City14102240142632
3Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1586129111830
4Tottenham HotspurSpurs1592431211029
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd148242020026
6Liverpool1464428171122
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton146352319421
8Chelsea146351717021
9Fulham155462426-219
10Brentford154742325-219
11Crystal Palace145451518-319
12Aston Villa155371622-618
13Leicester CityLeicester155282525017
14Bournemouth154471832-1416
15Leeds UnitedLeeds144372226-415
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham154291217-514
17Everton153571117-614
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest153481130-1913
19Southampton153391327-1412
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves15249824-1610

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Match previews - Daily
Transfer Talk Daily
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!