Dele Alli was back training on Monday, sprinting and kicking balls, as Gareth Southgate planned ahead for England’s final World Cup group game against Belgium. Alli’s availability would be a boost and his participation at England’s base in Repino suggests the midfielder is close to recovering from a thigh strain he picked up in the side’s opening win against Tunisia.
But with qualification already secured and a strong argument emerging for finishing second rather than first in Group G, Southgate must decide whether key players, including Alli, are in need of a rest or if he sticks to a winning formula. While the eleven that started Sunday’s match against Panama were spared training after their crushing 6-1 win, England’s substitutes were put through a running session and did some ball work.