James Maddison misses England training ahead of World Cup opener

England and Leicester City playmaker James Maddison was not seen in training on Thursday morning as the Three Lions prepare for their World Cup opener with Iran in Group B.

The 25-year-old was one of the standout picks in Gareth Southgate's squad for the 2022 tournament, having previously struggled to win over the England manager.

Maddison was part of a full complement of players to take part in training on Wednesday, as England took to the Qatar pitch at Al Wakrah for the first time since arriving.

However, the Leicester midfielder was missing from Thursday's session, with the Evening Standard reporting that his absence was merely down to managing his workload.

Only a couple of days after being called up, Maddison was forced off with a knock to the knee in Leicester's Premier League win over West Ham United, sparking fears over his participation in Qatar.

Nevertheless, Maddison is expected to be fine to take part in England's inaugural game with Iran on Monday, and all other 25 players were present at training on Thursday morning, including Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips.

However, the former has admitted that Monday's game may come too soon for him as he battles back to full fitness following groin surgery.