Gareth Southgate has faced fitness issues and absences in the build-up to Euro 2024.
But all 26 players trained on Tuesday as England gave their best for the first time since arriving in Germany the night before.
England kick off their Group C campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday, before taking on Denmark and Slovenia, and a few hundred people watched at Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld in Jena as England were put to the test by Gareth Southgate in the match of the weekend.
Here are the key lessons from the first English training in Germany...
Shaw in the rondos and everyone on the grass
Open training at the stadium that is home to Carl Zeiss Jena, one of East Germany's most famous old clubs, marked the first time Gareth Southgate had all 26 players available since naming his squad last Thursday.
It was Jude Bellingham's first training session since joining the club after being given a week off following Real Madrid's Champions League victory. And importantly, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Bukayo Saka and Lewis Dunk were also on the pitch.
It was all injury concerns - especially Shaw - and it was encouraging to see the left-back take part in the session. Shaw has not played since aggravating a hamstring problem during Manchester United's 2-1 win at Luton Town in February and revealed last weekend that he should not have played in the match.
When announcing his selection, Southgate even suggested Shaw was an outsider, but that's what he did. Although, based on the forty-minute training, he clearly won't be fit to play against Serbia on Sunday.
Encouragingly, he was involved in the 'rondos' - the boxes - a standard training session where a group of players try to maintain possession of the ball with a series of passes, while one or two others are tasked with trying to intercept.
But again, Shaw didn't go in the middle, which is a much tougher task. It shows that he still has a way to go. The session will now be followed by four full days of training before traveling to Gelsenkirchen on Saturday afternoon.
Kane and Trippier manipulate a famous referee
"It was a bloodbath," grinned Harry Kane after he and Kieran Trippier proved masters at a version of 'foot volleyball' - where players head or volley the ball to keep it in a tight space. It is similar to the game 'Teqball', which has proven popular on training grounds, but without a table.
The seasoned pros of Kane and Trippier - clearly good friends - were cunning enough to take out first Kyle Walker and John Stones (who are also close) and then Ezri Konsa and Bukayo Saka. Finally, they also proved too much for Ollie Watkins and Eberechi Eze, who quickly went down 4-0 in their match but rallied to make it back to 4-3.
Faced with the prospect of a humiliating comeback, there was then, quite clearly, a bit of light-hearted gamesmanship from the Kane/Trippier partnership, who took their time (wasted time?) as they ran down the clock before Steve Holland, Southgate's assistant, his flute. Southgate was the referee at this end of the pitch. "Sometimes you have to manipulate the referee," said Trippier, and he and Kane certainly knew how to get in Southgate's ear when it came to tight calls, much to the frustration of Walker and Konsa.
What was also evident was the ongoing 'bromance' between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham - remember that last World Cup, when Liverpool fans dared to dream that Bellingham was about to sign for them? - as they also worked together in other competitions.
The purpose of the exercise? It was intended to promote team spirit and competitiveness, but also to tighten control in tight spaces and - however enthusiastically it was played - was a great success.
Bellingham was mobbed during a mini-goal contest
The lively session ended with a fast-paced match as two teams - green and blue - attempted to score in four mini-goals that were turned backwards. Why? It made it even more difficult to score as the teams had to go past the goals and then find the net. The goalkeepers - including veteran Tom Heaton, who was added to the squad as a 'training goalkeeper' - all played off the pitch with the nearest player tasked with defending the goal should the other team threaten to score.
Some - such as Stones and Alexander-Arnold - clearly saw it as their duty to do so, as the ball was moved quickly from end to end. Shaw was involved, but not fully, while the other players were ordered not to make contact with him.
The biggest party? That happened right at the end when Bellingham scored emphatically for the blues - fittingly for the Birmingham City fan - and he was mobbed by his team-mates who piled on him as the session ended.
And finally... the video producer nicknamed 'Chilly'
Ben Chilwell may not have made the England squad but there was a double take when Brendan Modini walked out. Modini, a popular figure with the players, is the FA's video producer and is behind much of England's innovative content. But he is undeniably the spitting image of Chelsea's left-back. Modini was there to film for the FA, but his resemblance to Chilwell is so great that even the England players nickname him 'Chilly'. It's really creepy.
Meanwhile, the open training session - which included FA technical director John McDermott watching in the pleasant 17 degree Celsius sunshine - ended with the England squad signing autographs to fans.
They all involved Kane, Declan Rice and, unsurprisingly, Bellingham, the last to leave. That trio was in high demand, but Bellingham in particular stayed well ahead of everyone else, signing and agreeing to 'selfies' before the squad returned to their hotel.