As Thomas Tuchel thinks whether the forward of “Chelsea” has been selected in his next squad, England has given Cole Palmer a medical examination.
The 24-year-old missed all four games in the previous international window with a minor injury.
He completed 90 minutes for Chelsea against Brentford before those matches and then started for the Blues in the first game.
Tuchel, who named his squad to face Croatia and Spain on Friday, said at the time that Palmer had “played with anxiety and pain” but had “missed a lot of opportunities” against England.
Whether or not he is recalled will be the main topic on Friday. While it is normal for England medical staff to check players under review, Palmer insists he remains on Tuchel’s radar despite his harsh comments in September.
As well as deciding whether or not to pick Palmer, manager Tuchel has a number of other dilemmas to deal with.
Bukayo Saka’s injury absence opens the door for another striker whose Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke is looking to recall after a string of impressive performances.
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has not played since mid-October and is not fit for selection, while Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah is a serious injury doubt.
Defenders Ben White and Jed Spence are looking for a recall after being left out of the previous squad through injury.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and many others are now stonewall options – but intrigue still surrounds the few remaining spots up for grabs.
Will some old faces be recalled or will there be new faces in the England shirt soon? BBC Sport ranks some of the potential candidates for selection.