James Maddison has given England an injury scare after being substituted early in Leicester City's Premier League match against West Ham United, just two days after being named in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad. The 25-year-old playmaker scored a stunning left-footed goal before going off in the 25th minute, appearing to hold the back of his thigh as he headed down the tunnel.
However, manager Brendan Rodgers later allayed fears, stating the substitution was precautionary. 'He’s fine,' Rodgers told BBC Sport. 'It was just precautionary, a little soreness on the side of the knee. He hasn’t trained a lot this week. He’s OK.' Maddison himself added as he left the stadium: 'It should be fine.'
Maddison's inclusion in the World Cup squad came after a run of exceptional form, with his goal against West Ham his seventh league strike of the campaign. He had previously earned only one senior cap but was expected to feature in Qatar, having recently thrived on the right side of Leicester's attack.
England's first World Cup match is on 21 November, giving Maddison just nine days to recover. His potential absence would leave Southgate with other attacking midfield options including Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden. Jarrod Bowen or Ivan Toney, who scored twice after being omitted, could also be called up as replacements.
