"Raheem Sterling will return to
England's World Cup base in Qatar. The Chelsea forward temporarily left to
attend to a family matter but is now expected to rejoin the squad in Al Wakrah
on Friday ahead of the quarter-final with France," the FA said in a
statement.
Sterling did not feature in England's squad
for the 3-0 win against Senegal with Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka playing either
side of striker Harry Kane.
It would be a surprise should Sterling be
picked to start against France although his return does increase manager Gareth
Southgate's options from the bench.
British media reports had said that
Sterling's home was broken into by armed intruders while his family were in the
property on Saturday night.
However, Surrey Police later said that
no-one was at home at the time of the burglary and no threats of violence were
involved.
The police said the house's occupants were
away on an 'international trip' and discovered on their return that a number of
items of jewellery, including watches, had been stolen.
Southgate had been supportive of Sterling's
decision to leave the camp and return to England.
"At the moment clearly the priority is
for him to be with his family. We're going to support that and leave him to
have as 9 time as he needs," he had said.
Sterling has been a key player for England
during Southgate's six years in charge.
The 28-year-old has 20 goals in 81 caps for
his country, including one at the 2022 World Cup in a 6-2 victory over Iran.