Share

Bertrand absent from England training

Chantilly - Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand was the only absentee as England staged an open training session in front of local schoolchildren at their Chantilly training base north of Paris on Tuesday.

Bertrand missed England's 1-0 win over Portugal last week with a knock and is now doubtful for their Euro 2016 opener against Russia in Marseille on Saturday.

While the rest of the squad were put through their paces, Bertrand worked with a fitness coach on an adjacent pitch. It leaves Tottenham Hotspur's Danny Rose likely to start at left-back against Russia.

Addressing the crowd of around 400 people watching the session, England manager Roy Hodgson said, in French: "We're very happy to be here in Chantilly and we thank you for what you've done."

Calling Chantilly a "beautiful town", he added: "Thank you and enjoy the training."

The rest of the 22-man squad, including Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, who is reported to be considering an offer from Arsenal, trained on a hot, sunny morning at the Stade des Bourgognes, home of local side US Chantilly.

After a warm-up, there was a volleyed passing exercise in which goalkeeper Joe Hart experiences some difficulties, to the amusement of his team-mates.

Prior to the session, Chantilly mayor Eric Woerth welcomed England to their training base and a group of local children, draped in St George's flags, sang 'God Save the Queen'.

"I want to welcome the England team on behalf of the municipality of Chantilly," said Woerth, who was a minister in the government of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"It's your ground, your playground, and I hope the tournament will be good.

"We're proud you've chosen Chantilly and we'll follow you throughout the tournament. Vive the Three Lions!"

England will continue to train in Chantilly before travelling to Marseille on Friday (June 10).

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1802 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1765 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1067 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 449 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 184 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
4% - 247 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE