The 21-year-old striker does have a fighting chance of recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in a challenge from Manchester City's Nigel de Jong on April 30, even if he still requires anti-inflammatories to reduce the heavy bruising that is preventing him from training.

On Thursday he did some light work on the sidelines with the England physios.

He is certainly expected to miss Saturday's friendly in Norway, which points to Andy Carroll getting the opportunity to stake his claim for the starting place against France.

Increasingly it looks like the Liverpool striker will be handed that role.

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