England have been handed a huge boost as playmaker James Maddison made his return to the squad in training on Saturday morning. The Leicester City midfielder has been unavailable so far in the tournament, suffering with a knee injury in his domestic club's final match before the mid-season break.
The return for the 26-year-old will add further options to Gareth Southgate's disposal before the Three Lions face off against Wales in Group B on Tuesday, November 29. They will go into the game needing to avoid a 4-0 defeat or heavier to confirm a place in the round of 16.
That's off the back of their frustrating 0-0 draw against USA just a day prior, where England were unable to deal with the press of their opposition to win the game and confirm qualification with a game spare. Plenty of questions have been asked over the substitutes that Southgate made to try and turn the tide.
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Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish all took to the pitch, though there was outcry over the lack of minutes for Phil Foden. "I know Phil Foden isn’t playing but for Phil Foden not to be playing for England is a real shame because he’s a massive talent," Former England defender Gary Neville told ITV. "I think he’s our best player, our best talent by a mile. He should be playing in that team.”
Southgate later explained the decision, hinting that Foden was less suited to the central role behind the striker due to his time playing on the wing at Manchester City. In Maddison, the manager could have a more natural option in the number 10 role, with the Foxes star often drifting into dangerous spaces and changing games.
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