Rice and Guehi fitness doubts cloud England's World Cup quarter-final preparations against Norway

Declan Rice and Marc Guehi sat out England’s first training session since their victory over Mexico at the Azteca, casting a shadow over Thomas Tuchel’s preparations for the World Cup quarter-final against Norway in Miami. Reece James also remained absent, leaving the England head coach monitoring three players at once ahead of the knockout tie.

Rice has been managing a lower back problem, while Guehi is understood to be carrying muscle fatigue from the win in Mexico and is currently on a recovery programme. Both players are working through individual fitness plans, and the expectation within the camp is that they will be available for the Norway clash — though nothing has been confirmed.

James’s situation appears more precarious. The right-back did not participate in the open session at England’s Kansas City base and is now facing a race against time to be fit for the quarter-final.

Adding to Tuchel’s selection headaches, the FA has yet to decide whether to appeal Jarell Quansah’s red card, which currently rules the defender out of the Norway game.

Amid the injury concerns, Anthony Gordon offered a more upbeat assessment of the squad’s mood. The Barcelona winger, who provided two assists for Harry Kane against DR Congo and won the penalty that Kane converted against Mexico, said the current group is the best England squad he has been part of.

“Camplife is amazing. I am absolutely loving it,” Gordon said. “We have got an unbelievable group, the best England group I have been a part of by a country mile, in terms of chemistry, in terms of connection, not just on the pitch but off the pitch. In terms of standards off the pitch, we are holding each other accountable, which is really important for any team that wants to be successful.”

Gordon credited Tuchel with building a “brotherhood” within the squad and said the collective spirit was a driving force behind England’s dramatic win in Mexico. Having endured a stop-start tournament, the winger appears to be hitting form at the right moment and is already looking to add goals to his assists tally.

“I love finishing, it’s a big part of my game, I want to be a goalscorer,” he said. “I have been speaking to H (Kane) and trying to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can because he can do it on both feet, doesn’t matter the angle, doesn’t matter off his touch, the ball finds a way into the net.”

England face Norway in the quarter-final in Miami, with Tuchel hoping to have his full squad available before then.