Marcus Rashford sat out England’s first training session in Russia due to a knee complaint.

Preparations for the World Cup could scarcely have gone any better up until now, with Gareth Southgate’s initial 23-man selection remaining intact after beating Nigeria and Costa Rica.

Rashford shone in the latter and scored a superb opener in a man-of-the-match display, underlining his claims for a starting berth in Monday’s Group G opener against Tunisia.

However, the 20-year-old’s hopes received a setback after missing England’s first training session in Russia with a knee knock.

The football Association indicated Rashford’s absence was only a precautionary measure, with Southgate calling it a “slight knock” upon touching down on Tuesday.

The remaining 22 members of England’s squad trained at Spartak Zelenogorsk’s stadium, where around 400 local children joined dignitaries in welcoming the team to the country.