England defender Marc Guehi will undergo an assessment on Friday to determine his availability for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final match against Norway.

The centre-back sustained a minor hamstring injury during England’s 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16 at the Azteca Stadium.

Meanwhile, right-back Reece James rejoined training on Thursday as planned and remains in contention for the upcoming match. However, Declan Rice missed another training session due to a sickness bug.

Medical staff initially hoped that Guehi was only dealing with muscular fatigue and expected him to be fit for the Norway fixture.

Reports now indicate that the Manchester City defender has actually sustained a hamstring strain.

Guehi is eager to prove his fitness and remains optimistic about his chances of participating.

If he fails to train with the team on Friday, his inclusion in the squad against Norway will be in serious doubt.

While officials do not view the injury as severe, England head coach Thomas Tuchel cannot afford to take risks with his defenders, especially with the challenge of containing Norway’s seven-goal striker, Erling Haaland.

Midfielder Rice has now missed two consecutive days of training because of the illness.

The sickness has exacerbated a pre-existing neural issue that was already affecting Rice’s hamstring and lower back.

England has implemented measures to prevent the spread of the bug throughout the squad.

In positive news for Tuchel, first-choice right-back Reece James returned to full training for the first time since injuring his hamstring during the goalless draw with Ghana.

James did not participate in the entire session but should be available to face Norway, provided he suffers no ill effects from his workout on Thursday.

Defensive options for Norway

The return of James provides a welcome boost to Tuchel, as the right-back position has been a problematic area for the team due to various injuries and suspensions.

BBC Sport reported on Monday that the Chelsea defender was on track to return to training and compete for a spot against Norway.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that Jarell Quansah, who played right-back against Mexico, received a two-game ban following his red card in the round-of-16 tie.

Newcastle’s Tino Livramento suffered a calf injury prior to the tournament, leading to the call-up of Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah, who can also cover the full-back position, as his replacement.

With these injuries and suspensions, Djed Spence was potentially the only natural right-back available for the Norway match.

Guehi’s fitness presents an additional challenge. John Stones, Dan Burn, and Chalobah are all available at centre-back should the Manchester City defender remain sidelined.