England Receives Boost with Rice, Guehi, and James Ahead of Norway Quarter-Final

England’s preparations for their World Cup quarter-final with Norway in Miami were lifted by a timely surge of good news on the training pitch.

Declan Rice, Marc Guehi and Reece James all stepped back into the main group on Friday, easing fears that Gareth Southgate’s plans might be ripped up on the eve of the tie.

Rice, who had been isolated from the squad after falling ill in the wake of Monday’s last-16 win over Mexico, rejoined his team-mates at England’s base in Miami. The midfielder had been kept away from the rest of the group as a precaution, but his presence in the session offers a major boost to England’s control and composure in the middle of the pitch.

Guehi’s return was just as significant. The defender missed Thursday’s workout in Kansas City amid concern over a possible hamstring issue, a red flag at this stage of the tournament. Any longer absence would have forced a rethink at the back. Instead, he trained on Friday and put himself firmly in contention to start against Norway.

James was the third positive sight. The right-back, recovering from a hamstring problem of his own, joined full team training for the first time in almost three weeks. His workload is being carefully managed and he is still unlikely to start this weekend, but simply having him back on the grass with the group changes the options available to Southgate late in games.

There was one notable absentee. Jordan Henderson, who broke his wrist and arm during the celebrations after that dramatic victory over Mexico, sat out the session and remains the only member of the 26-man squad currently sidelined through injury.

Discipline has taken its toll as well. Jarell Quansah will miss the clash with Norway after receiving a two-game suspension for his red card in the last match, ruling him out of the quarter-final and any potential semi-final.

The session took place at Inter Miami’s training centre, with the squad receiving a visit from Sir David Beckham, whose club facilities England are using during their stay. The former England captain’s presence added another layer of intrigue to an already high-profile build-up.

Carragher’s Warning Shot over Haaland and Norway

Away from the training ground, Jamie Carragher offered a note of both confidence and caution.

The Sky Sports pundit is backing England to edge through with a 2-1 win in Miami, but he stressed that Thomas Tuchel’s Norway are far more than a one-man threat, even with Erling Haaland leading the line.

Carragher described Haaland as “the greatest goalscorer of all time” in the making, yet pointed to Norway’s broader quality after watching them dismantle Brazil.

He highlighted how Norway “totally deserved” their win in that game and how they “dominated Brazil possession-wise in that second half,” underlining the danger of underestimating them on this stage.

“They have some really good players,” he said. “But it’s a game we can win.”

With Rice back to marshal midfield, Guehi reinforcing the defence and James edging closer to full involvement, England head into Miami with their spine largely intact. The injuries have not gone away, the suspension still bites, but the quarter-final no longer feels like a test of squad depth alone.

Now it becomes a test of nerve against Haaland and a Norway side intent on tearing up the script.