Soccer-Maddison misses England training again

Maddison, whose sparkling form for Leicester City earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's squad three years after he earned his solitary cap, is struggling with a knee injury. England's squad trained for the final time before the Group B clash with Iran at their Al Wakrah base with Maddison the only player absent, having missed training the two previous days. Southgate was due to talk to the media later on Sunday.

England midfielder James Maddison's chances of appearing in his side's World Cup opener against Iran appear to be receding after he again missed training with the rest of the squad on Sunday. Maddison, whose sparkling form for Leicester City earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's squad three years after he earned his solitary cap, is struggling with a knee injury.

England's squad trained for the final time before the Group B clash with Iran at their Al Wakrah base with Maddison the only player absent, having missed training the two previous days. Maddison suffered the injury in Leicester's last game before the Premier League broke off for the World Cup, going off in the first half against West Ham United.

While the 25-year-old said after arriving in Qatar this week that a scan had been "positive", his continued absence will be a worry for Southgate, especially with two other squad members -- Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips -- having only just returned from injuries. Southgate was due to talk to the media later on Sunday.

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