Dele Alli Misses England Training for Second Day Ahead of Panama Clash Due to Thigh Injury

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has been forced to miss England training for a second day as he continues to recover from a thigh injury suffered against Tunisia on Monday night.

Alli looked to be struggling for much of the game - won 2-1 by England in the end - and looked certain to come off at half-time, only for him to last 80 minutes before eventually being replaced.

But the 22-year-old star was absent as England trained on Wednesday in preparation for the second World Cup group game against Panama on Sunday. He was again missing for the Three Lions' session on Thursday, although the injury was described as only a 'slight thigh strain'.

At this stage it appears likely that Alli will be fit and available for the Panama clash, but should he be ruled or not risked, many fans hope that Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be given an opportunity to start after impressing when he came off the bench against Tunisia.

That was a first competitive international appearance for the Chelsea man, having only previously appeared in friendlies in his four prior caps.

While Alli was not present on the training pitch for England, manager Gareth Southgate was after suffering a dislocated shoulder while on a jog on Wednesday afternoon.

"It is better this is me than one of the players," he said. "I might not be celebrating any goals as athletically in future. The doctor has made it clear that punching the air is not an option."

Southgate has key selection decisions to make ahead of the Panama game. Raheem Sterling could find himself dropped after a wasteful performance in England's opener, with Marcus Rashford likely to get the nod instead if the Manchester City star is benched.