England captain Harry Kane said the “hype and noise” surrounding his injury was similar to that of David Beckham and Wayne Rooney before and during previous major tournaments.
Kane picked up a hard ankle in the 6-2 opener win over Iran and was taken off after 76 minutes.
The The Tottenham striker had a precautionary scan, but then played the whole job Draw 0-0 against USA.
“Whether I’m fully fit or injured or not, anyone else can come in – in any position,” Kane told BBC Sport.
“The team is not just me. We have 26 players here who are all looking to achieve the same thing: to win a World Cup.”
In 2002, England’s preparation for the World Cup was overshadowed by headlines and news reports about captain Beckham’s infamous metatarsal injury.
Just 54 days from the start of the tournament in Japan and South Korea, the midfielder broke a bone in his left foot while playing for Manchester United in the Champions League.
But Beckham made a remarkable recovery after treatment in an oxygen tent to lead his side to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 2-1 by eventual winners Brazil.
Two years later, the 18-year-old Rooney burst onto the international scene and was England’s star player at Euro 2004, scoring four goals in a run to the last eight.
But, like Beckham, he suffered a metatarsal fracture in the quarter-final against Portugal and England ended up losing the match (6-5) on penalties.
“I was an England fan before I was an England player. I know [about] when Rooney got injured, when Beckham got injured, so I know the hype and noise that can happen,” Kane added.
“I know and understand why this is happening, but from our perspective we are fully focused on ourselves to go far in the tournament.”
England top of Group B and will advance to the Round of 16 in Qatar if they avoid a four-goal defeat by Wales in their last group game on Tuesday (kick-off 19:00 GMT).
Kane said: “I feel good. I know there has been a lot of noise. In the game against Iran, I could easily have played the full 90 minutes, but the coach changed it to tactical reasons.
“I had a precautionary scan – which is common in our sport – and it came back pretty much clear. It’s good to go.
“Physically I feel good and I’ll be ready for the game.”
“This tournament suits us”
The World Cup in Qatar has been moved to a winter slot for the first time due to the extreme temperatures that can be reached in the country in the summer.
This meant leagues around the world were halted midway through the season to host the tournament, with the Premier League shutting down just seven days before the opening match.
Just 11 days before the start, Spurs manager Antonio Conte said Kane was “really, really tired” after being substituted in the second half of the 2-0 Carabao Cup loss to Nottingham Forest.
Kane added: “I don’t think there will be another major tournament where the players are at this peak, in terms of fitness.
“This tournament, match fitness has been easier than a summer tournament where you have four or five weeks off and need to get back up to match speed.
“This tournament suits many of us because we are used to playing every three days at this stage of the season.”
