It is late afternoon in Al Wakrah and as Kalvin Phillips discusses crossing his fingers to recover from shoulder surgery in time for the World Cup in a Bedouin-style tent at England’s training base it seems apt that the call to prayer for the Maghrib Salah seeps into conversation.
In weeks gone by the only call Phillips, who has played just four minutes in the Premier League this season, had been praying for was from Gareth Southgate and before receiving confirmation of his place in the squad his anxiety was only heightened when Kyle Walker, his Manchester City teammate who has been sidelined since October, told of his inclusion earlier that morning.
