World Cup: England squad fear for safety of their families

Last week, the England squad was shaken after Raheem Sterling was abruptly pulled out of their FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar following news of a burglary at his home back in England. Now, it is being reported that the rest of the England quad is fearing for the safety of their loved ones while they are thousands of miles away.

Sterling flew straight back to England after he was told that a burglary took place in his home while his wife and young children were present. He has spent a few days with his family, and is believed to be planning to head back to Qatar in time to train ahead of Saturday's quarter-final clash against France.

He missed the round of 16 victory over Senegal, but is expected to rejoin his teammates for the rest of the tournament. However, midfielder Kalvin Phillips admitted that the other players are ill at ease over the incident. "Once one player goes through it, there is always a thought in the back of your mind that it might happen to you," he said, as quoted by The Sun.

Most of the players' WAGs and children are staying in a luxury cruise ship in Qatar, but many family members remain in residences back in England or elsewhere in the world where they are currently based.

"It's not really a nice feeling when you are so far away and have family at home," Phillips added. Despite the worry, he said that they are happy to learn that Sterling's family is safe and that he is willing to rejoin the squad. However, there are some doubts over whether he will be ready to jump right back into action on Saturday.

He will likely start from the bench for the big game against the World Cup title holders. However, his presence back with the group will be a big boost for Gareth Southgate's team.

Meanwhile, it is understood that Sterling is seeking assurances that his family will remain safe while he is away. It seems likely that the rest of the players will also be seeking extra security for the loved ones that they have left at home and even the ones that are with them in Doha.