Raheem Sterling is set to rejoin the Three Lions’ World Cup squad after flying back to England to deal with a robbery at his family home. The Chelsea ace has reportedly made himself available for the crunch quarter-final with France on Saturday, although it is expected that he will start on the bench.
Sterling is one of the most experienced players in Gareth Southgate’s ranks and he started the first two matches in Qatar. He withdrew from the matchday squad shortly before the 3-0 win over Senegal on Sunday, however, after a robbery on his Surrey home.
The Chelsea star promptly took the decision to jet back to England and check up on his family, who were reportedly shaken by the incident. Sterling always hoped to come back ahead of the quarter-finals, however, and his return was confirmed via an FA statement released on Thursday.
“Raheem Sterling will return to England’s World Cup base in Qatar,” it read. “The Chelsea forward temporarily left to attend to a family matter but is now expected to rejoin the squad in Al Wakrah on Friday (9 December) ahead of the quarter-final with France.”
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However, Surrey Police, who are still investigating the incident and have made no arrests claim that there is no evidence of the robbers being armed and Sterling’s family weren’t present. The winger is a towering figure in Southgate’s squad with 20 goals in 81 appearances during his international career.
His form since ditching Manchester City for Chelsea during the summer has been uninspiring but he repaid Southgate’s faith almost immediately by getting on the scoresheet against Iran last month. Much of England’s preparation for the French will surround nullifying the threat posed by Kylian Mbappe, who leads the race for the Golden Boot with five goals.
Man City full-back Kyle Walker, whose pace could be critical in keeping Mbappe under wraps, gave a passionate speech when asked about the duel this week and claimed that he does not plan to ‘roll out the red carpet’ for the Paris Saint-Germain star who, according to many, is now the best player in the world.
“I understand what I need to do and that is to stop him,” Walker told reporters. “It’s easier said than done but I don’t underestimate myself. He is a fantastic player in great form. It is not going to be an easy task, but as a professional footballer you want to play against the best and I think he is one of the best, if not the best, in the world at the moment.”
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