Daniel Sturridge made a timely return to England training on Monday as Roy Hodgson prepares to end two players' Euro 2016 dreams.
Fitness concerns led the Three Lions boss to name an enlarged 26-strong provisional party two weeks ago, with the squad now needing to be whittled down by three.
Fabian Delph has already dropped out because of a groin complaint and Hodgson has until the end of Tuesday to finalise his 23-man squad for France, with the decision on the pair missing out to come after training at Watford's London Colney base.
The England manager had planned to announce his decision over the weekend in the wake of Friday's friendly against Australia, but a change in tack will instead see him wait for the day of the deadline, leading to the media's player access on Monday being scrapped.
Sturridge's absence in the 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light looks to have played a key role in the decision to hold fire, with the oft-injured Liverpool striker sustaining a calf strain during the Europa League final loss to Sevilla.
Questions over the 26-year-old's place in the squad were compounded by 18-year-old Marcus Rashford's goal scoring debut, but the former Chelsea striker worked over the weekend and trained with the group on Monday, when Hodgson always expected to have a better idea about his availability.
"We'll make a reassessment on Monday but I don't think personally at the moment that it is going to be such a major problem," Hodgson said after the win in Sunderland.
"I am hoping on Monday he'll be fit and he'll also be throwing his hat into the ring for one of those places."
Asked if Sturridge has got to be fit for when the squad is named on Tuesday or instead for England's Euro 2016 opener against Russia on June 11, Hodgson said: "He has been fit for a while now.
"This is an injury he picked up during the Europa League final. He has actually been fit and playing for Liverpool for quite a long period of time -- more so than say a guy like Jordan Henderson.
"This is just one of those things that is unfortunate, to pick up this injury at a time when he'd have loved to be training.
"But I can't allow that to affect my judgement of him or my thoughts going forwards.
"For me to dismiss him on the grounds of injury, that would need one of the doctors to tell me it won't clear up in time for when we're in France."
Sturridge was among 24 players training on the eve of the squad announcement, with Ryan Bertrand the only fresh absentee as the Southampton left-back received treatment on an unspecified knock.
Chelsea defender Gary Cahill trained having missed Friday's match following another injection in his hip, while Manchester City midfielder Delph dropped to the standby list before the Australia match with a groin injury.
It means two players from the enlarged list have to be omitted, with Rashford hoping to celebrate his new Manchester United deal with a place in the 23.
Danny Drinkwater and Andros Townsend are others whose position looks precarious, while reports suggest the coaching staff have concerns about Ross Barkley's match fitness.
Hodgson was keen to see how Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson fared on their return from injury, with the midfielders playing a part in both the Turkey and Australia friendlies.