England’s Squad Takes a Hit as Four Players Miss Practice Ahead of Norway Showdown

England’s World Cup quarterfinal prep just got a little more complicated. Four players sat out Wednesday’s training session in Kansas City as Thomas Tuchel’s squad gears up for Saturday’s clash with Norway in Miami.

Jordan Henderson is the biggest name missing — and he’s probably done for the tournament. The midfielder had surgery on his arm Wednesday after a bizarre injury during England’s 3-2 win over Mexico at Estadio Azteca. Henderson was celebrating with teammates when something went wrong, and the arm ended up needing a surgical fix. He posted a photo from his hospital bed with a thumbs-up, thanking the doctors at Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute. The team has said Henderson will stay with the group for the rest of the World Cup, but don’t expect to see him on the field again.

Reece James also missed practice. That one is a bit more fluid. James has been sidelined with a hamstring injury that kept him out of England’s group matches against Panama, the DR Congo, and Mexico. The hope is he can return for the quarterfinal, but it’s not a sure thing yet. Tuchel’s staff hasn’t given a firm timeline.

Marc Guehi and vice captain Declan Rice were also absent. There’s no immediate alarm about either one, according to people close to the squad. But it’s early. The medical staff will keep an eye on them over the next couple of days before making any calls about availability for Saturday.

England trained at Swope Soccer Village with 22 of the 26 squad members. That’s a decent turnout, but missing four guys — including your vice captain and a key midfielder — is never ideal this late in a tournament.

Henderson’s weird injury

The Henderson situation is just unlucky. He wasn’t hurt in a tackle or a sprint. It happened during the celebration after the Mexico win. Freak stuff. The kind of thing that makes you wince and laugh at the same time. He’s already had the surgery and seems in good spirits, posting on Instagram: “Surgery done! Let’s get ready for the big one Saturday.” He also gave shoutouts to the three surgeons who operated on him. Classy move, but brutal timing.

England will need to adjust. Norway is a real threat in this tournament, and missing a leader like Henderson — even if he wasn’t a guaranteed starter — changes the dynamic in the locker room.

What’s next for the Three Lions

Saturday’s game is in Miami, which is basically a home game for a lot of the local crowd given the large English expat population down there. But Norway won’t be fazed. They’ve looked solid all tournament. England will need everyone available who can go.

Keep an eye on James. If he’s fit, he changes how England can attack from the right side. Rice is a bigger concern if he misses time — he’s been essential in midfield. Guehi, less central, but still a useful rotation piece.

No official word yet on who’s definitely out or in. That’ll come Thursday or Friday. For now, England’s training ground has four empty lockers and a lot of questions to answer before Saturday.