Jürgen Klopp received the news he has been waiting for for weeks

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips was dropped from the England squad on Tuesday due to a shoulder injury which raises a concern for manager Gareth Southgate ahead of the World Cup. Phillips was replaced by central midfielder Jordan Henderson for the imminent matches against Italy and Germany in the Nations League, showing the Liverpool captain is now fit to play.

The Reds captain has not played since August due to a muscle injury which prompted Jürgen Klopp's hasty decision to sign Brazilian Arthur Melo. Now Phillips, a fixture in the England side that reached last year's European Championship final, dislocated his shoulder last week and could undergo surgery, potentially ruling him out of the World Cup squad.

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The 26-year-old holding midfielder has not had a good start to the season after transferring from Leeds to champions Manchester City during the summer. He has been relegated to the bench, with just 14 minutes played, because of injuries, particularly problems with his shoulder. He made a fleeting appearance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last week.

That raised hopes that Phillips was close to a full recovery after hurting the man in a friendly against Barcelona in August. He suffered two serious shoulder injuries while playing for Leeds. Southgate has counted on Phillips and Declan Rice as his marking midfield duo since Euro 2020, where England lost to Italy on penalties in the final.

<strong>Henderson will be looking to start at the World Cup in Qatar</strong>

Phillips' fitness problems open the door for Jude Bellingham (Dortmund) and James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) to find starting places in the World Cup squad. Henderson, meanwhile, looks set to feature again as a permanent fixture in Southgate's line-up despite his seniority.