Gareth Southgate is set to name his England squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Three Lions are looking to end their 66-year wait to win the prestigious global competition as they look to go one further than their European Championships heartache.
Roberto Mancini's Italy etched their name as winners of Euro 2022 following Gianluigi Donnarumma's heroics during the penalty shootout.
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The winter edition of the World Cup is a first for the tournament but has also presented a difficult opportunity for Southgate and the England internationals as they embark on a mid-season break ahead of the month-long quest in the Middle East.
Players like N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba have been ruled out of this month's World Cup as Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski have been made to sweat over their fitness going into the competition.
Their respective nations aren't alone in their injury fears with England also questioning the inclusion of a number of figures.
Ben Chilwell
The Chelsea left-back suffered what appeared to be serious hamstring injury during his side's Champions League win against Dinamo Zagreb last Wednesday night.
This is a serious blow for a player who missed the majority of last season with an ACL injury having just reclaimed his starting position at Stamford Bridge.
The minimum length of time out for such hamstring injuries is generally two to three weeks and his manager Graham Potter was not optimistic in the wake of the injury.
Following the Blues most recent defeat to Arsenal this weekend, Potter had this to say on Chilwell (November 6). He said: ‘'He’s disappointed, as you can imagine. It’s a blow to him that he’s going to miss the World Cup, which is bad news for any players.
''There’s no timescale [on his return]. We just have to help him get fit and be strong. We have to look after him, as we do all our players. We’ve tried to manage Ben in terms of the games he’s had and not playing him too often, making sure the progression is there, so in the end it’s a blow for him and for us.''
Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips
The full-back has been instrumental for Manchester City in their recent success and has been a stalwart for Southgate.
However the 32-year-old was forced off during the Citizens' emphatic win over rivals Manchester United last month resulting in emergency groin surgery. Since he was forced off, he hasn't played for Pep Guardiola's side.
Meanwhile, summer signing Kalvin Phillips hasn't had the best of starts to life in Manchester. A string of injuries has plagued the early stages of his time at the Premier League champions.
And more recently, he has been sidelined for six weeks with a shoulder injury after City took the decision to send Phillips under the knife.
Phillips established himself as a first-team start for England during their run in the World Cup which saw him become a household name and earn a move across the North West from Leeds.
Speaking prior to their Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea this week (November 9), Guardiola said: "They feel much better, yesterday Kalvin was the second day that he did a full training session with contact with us and he felt good.
"Against Chelsea he will be on the bench, whether to play or not I don’t know but he will be on bench - Kalvin is much better. I spoke with Kyle and he feels good too but his surgery was later than Kalvin, that’s why I don’t know."
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka became the latest injury concern as Arsenal thumped Nottingham Forest to return to the top of the Premier League.
The tricky winger has been one of the standout performers for Mikel Arteta as the Gunners have been one of the surprise packages of the campaign so far, going toe-to-toe with Manchester City.
Saka caused some worry as he was forced off during the win over Steve Cooper's side inside the first 45.
However, Saka has since returned to the Gunners side and was no more present than during their 1-0 win over Chelsea this weekend.
Reece James
Reece James has been one of the multiple prospects for Southgate to use in the full-back area. Trent Alexander-Arnold is among the options for England but wasn't selected in their recent Nations League matches, despite his inclusion.
For James, a knee injury in the 2-0 away win at AC Milan has forced him to endure spells on the sidelines leaving him in angst over his position in the 26-man squad.
He suffered knee ligament damage at the beginning of October and was sent to Dubai to undergo his rehabilitation in the hope to keep his dreams of making the 2022 World Cup alive.
Sources have indicated James has since been in contact with Gareth Southgate about a possible return, Potter has provided his own update on the 22-year-old (November, 8). He said: "Reece was outside today having a little jog, but there is nothing to report in terms of anything else.
"There is no timeframe [to return]. It is just how he responds. We don't want to rush anything, and I certainly don't want to put any timescales on it. That is for him, the doctors, and physios."
However, it is being reported on Wednesday that James has been told that he will not be part of the final 26-man squad due to be announced tomorrow.
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