Harry Maguire is back training with the England squad as the Manchester United centre-back continues to step up his recovery from an ankle injury.
The 28-year-old’s fitness has been one of the main talking points as Sunday’s European Championship opener against Croatia comes into focus.
Maguire suffered ankle ligament damage in United’s Premier League win at Aston Villa on May 9 after Anwar El Ghazi awkwardly landed on him.
The defender sat out the rest of the season, including being an unused substitute for the Europa League final loss to Villarreal, and England boss Gareth Southgate said it would be a “bonus” for him to be involved at the Euros.
But Maguire has been making steady progress and, having worked away from the group in the gym on Wednesday, continued to ease his way back by training with the rest of the 26-man squad.
“Felt good to be back out there with the lads,” the defender wrote on Twitter alongside emojis of a flexed bicep and the England flag.
Maguire looked comfortable taking part in training drills with team-mates during the open section of the session at St George’s Park on Thursday, although his availability for Croatia still looks questionable.
Jordan Henderson is also building fitness heading into the tournament, having only managed 45 minutes in Sunday’s 1-0 friendly win against Romania since undergoing groin surgery in February.
On Maguire’s return to training, England right-back Reece James said: “We all know how much of a key player he is in this squad.
“You can see how much, how big of an influence he has when he didn’t play in the Europa League final. It’s great to see him back on the training field today and hopefully he’s back soon.”
