Leicester midfielder James Maddison revealed that he is fit and ready to be called up for the World Cup. Just two days after being chosen to Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad, the midfielder, who had scored in Leicester’s 2-0 victory against West Ham in the penultimate match before the competition, was substituted due to a knee injury. Including right-back Kyle Walker, who underwent groin surgery in October but will miss the team’s first game against Iran on Monday, every England player participated in their first training session in Qatar on Wednesday. Maddison is optimistic Walker will be available for selection.
“I have to be prepared for when I’m needed. We have such a talented squad that you might only get that one chance to prove your worth and step up to help the club. I feel like I’m in good form, scoring goals in good form. I’ll be prepared when the chance arises,” Leicester midfielder James Maddison said about his chances at the World Cup. “The day before our meeting, we had a scan, and it came back positive. After the Everton game, I experienced a minor issue in the week leading up to the West Ham game. I desired to play (vs West Ham). Due to the World Cup, I didn’t want to try it out. I desired to assist Leicester.”
Despite not being called up for three years, Maddison said he “never believed the door was closed” on being included in Southgate’s squad. The 25-year-old claimed to be ready for either outcome, but he spoke of his feelings upon hearing the wonderful news. Following Maddison’s withdrawal from the England team in October 2019 due to sickness, England manager Southgate said last week that the trip to the casino he took was not “the drama it seemed to be for everybody else.” Maddison was also eager to downplay the event.
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