Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is in line to feature in England's match against Iceland on Wednesday despite limping off at the weekend with a back spasm.
Chilwell failed to complete the first half of the Three Lions' 2-0 loss to Belgium on Sunday, going off shortly before the break after landing awkwardly on his back, and there were doubts over whether he would be fit enough to feature against Iceland or even for Chelsea after the break.
Fortunately, it seems as though the left-back has avoided any damage. The Evening Standard state that doctors have assessed Chilwell and are confident that he would be able to feature against Iceland if Gareth Southgate so wishes.
The Telegraph's Matt Law offers a little more insight into the issue, suggesting that Chilwell suffered a back spasm that is believed to have stemmed from the long journey over to the Roi Baudouin Stadion, so it's just a case of seeing how he feels ahead of the game.
It would come as a surprise to see Chilwell play, given England can no longer qualify for the Nations League finals, but left-back isn't a position where Southgate has an awful lot of depth.
In fact, the Chelsea man is the only natural left-back in the team. Wingers Bukayo Saka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles can both fill in at the back, while right-back Kieran Trippier has been deployed there in the past.
The Blues will be hoping to see Chilwell rested to boost his chances of featuring against Newcastle on Saturday, but if he cannot recover in time, one player who appears likely to fill in is Italy international Emerson.
Emerson is yet to feature in the Premier League this season, and according to Corriere dello Sport, his time in England could be coming to an end as Napoli have opened talks over a possible January loan for the left-back.
Napoli, who also have Tiemoue Bakayoko on loan (and are said to have a 'gentleman's agreement' over a permanent deal), are keen to lure Emerson back to Italy, and it's thought that the 26-year-old would jump at the chance.
Talks are already underway between the two clubs, and it's likely both parties will look to find an amicable resolution in order to conclude a deal.
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Source : 90min