England World Cup 2022 fixtures: Kick-off times, route to final, and latest injury news for Qatar
Harry Kane will be fit to play in Friday's World Cup match against the United States, says England manager Gareth Southgate.
The striker injured his ankle early in the second half of Monday's emphatic 6-2 win over Iran.
Meanwhile, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is feeling "much better" after also being substituted on Monday.
Southgate told the media, "he was feeling ill and that was affecting his vision and you worry about concussion in that instant, but we were going back through all the footage and there is nothing he is in a good area."
Meanwhile, Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has stepped up his training and is available to play on Friday against the USA for what would be his first match since his groin surgery in October.
Midfielder James Maddison, who missed the Iran match because of a knee problem, also did not participate in England's trianing.
Group stage fixtures
All times in GMT
England 6 Iran 2 - November 21
USA 1 Wales 1: November 21
Wales vs Iran: Friday November 25, 10am (GMT), 1pm local time, 5am (ET) (Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)
England vs USA: Friday November 25, 7pm (GMT), 10pm local time, 2pm (ET) (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor),
Iran vs USA: Tuesday November 29, 7pm (GMT), 10pm local time, 2pm (ET) (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha)
Wales vs England: Tuesday November 29, 7pm (GMT), 10pm local time, 2pm (ET) (Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan)
Latest England news from Qatar
Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Harry Kane is fit to play against USA in the World Cup clash at Al Bayt on Friday after a scan on his foot.
The England captain picked up the knock in the victory over Iran on Monday and had it looked at as a precaution.
“He's good, he's worked a bit more individually but he'll be back in with the team (today) and good for the game,” said Southgate on ITV.
“We just checked him out just to see. I think sometimes when you're treating things it is important to know exactly what is there and that was all good.
“It was a poor challenge really but I think it's one that fortunately we've got away with reasonable lightly.” When asked if he was holding his breath about Kane, Southgate said: “I was when he went down on the pitch but once he went on playing everything was good.”
England's Group B opponents
Wales reached the World Cup finals in dramatic style via the qualifying play-offs, after beating an impassioned Ukraine side in Cardiff in June. Victory for Wales' talent-studded golden generation booked them a trip to the nation's second ever World Cup finals – their first since 1958.
USA also make their return to the tournament after an absence, albeit a less protracted one. After failing to make it to Russia in 2018, USA came third in Concacaf qualifiers to secure their place in Qatar. More so than ever, team players will be familiar to Premier League fans, due to the league's recent influx of American players, including Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson at Leeds, Antonee Robinson at Fulham, and USA captain Christian Pulisic, who plays for Chelsea.
Whilst Wales and the USA could cause group upset and jostle for runners-up spot, Iran are the underdogs of Group B. Although a Fifa ranking of 22 suggests they are by no means one of the weakest sides in the competition statistically, preparations have been marred by infighting while head coach Dragan Skocic has been replaced by former manager Carlos Queiroz, who oversaw the team's group stage knock-out in Russia.
World Cup schedule
If England win Group B
The winners of Group B will play the runners-up of Group A – Qatar, Holland, Ecuador and Senegal – with the Afcon winners their most likely opponents.
France are favourites to win Group D, over Denmark, Tunisia and Australia, and would face the Group C runner-up out of Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico or Poland to win the chance to face England in the quarter-finals, should Southgate's men make it out of the last-16 knock-out round.
If England reached the semi-finals, they could meet either Belgium or Portugal, strong contenders in Group F and H, and a potential final could see England meet Spain, Brazil, or Germany.
If England finish as runners-up in Group B
This would set up a clash between the winner of Group A, and if England were to beat Holland, they could face Argentina or Denmark in the quarter-finals.
In this scenario, should England make it to the semi-finals, their opponents might be one of either Spain, Germany, or Brazil, the cream of the crop from Groups E and G, to set up a possible final against France, Belgium, or Portugal in Lusail.
Quarter-final dates
The first two quarter-finals will take place on Friday, December 9, at 3pm and 7pm, and will be played at Education City Stadium and Lusail Iconic Stadium. The remaining quarter-finals are on Saturday, December 10, at 3pm and 7pm, and will be played at Al Thumama Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium.
Semi-final dates
The semi-finals will take place on Tuesday, December 13 and Wednesday, December 14, at Lusail Iconic Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium, with both matches taking place at 7pm.
Final
The World Cup final will take place on Sunday, December 18 at 3pm at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Who is in the England squad?
Southgate has named a 26-man squad for the tournament, including call-ups for James Maddison and Conor Gallagher.
