By God’sbest Christ’sfullness
England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that midfielder Declan Rice is available for selection ahead of Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup semi-final against defending champions Argentina after recovering from illness.
Rice was substituted at half-time during England’s quarter-final victory over Norway, raising concerns over his fitness before the last-four clash.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference in Atlanta on Tuesday, Tuchel said all eligible players were fit to start the match, with only suspended defender Jarell Quansah and injured midfielder Jordan Henderson unavailable.
“Everyone is fit to start and everyone was in training except for Jarell (Quansah), who is suspended, and Jordan Henderson,” Tuchel said.
He added that Rice had fully recovered and was ready for the encounter.
“Rice is ready to start and as well recovered as possible,” he said.
Henderson will miss the match after suffering a broken arm in an accident following England’s Round of 16 victory over co-hosts Mexico.
Tuchel also described the meeting between England and Argentina as one of international football’s biggest fixtures but said his players were focused on the present rather than past meetings between both countries.
“It is a big rivalry, two big football nations. Everyone who loves football and follows the World Cup knows about this and about what it brings,” he said.
“We expect an intense and emotional match, with a lot of momentum swings.”
The England coach said the team was not using previous encounters with Argentina as motivation.
“We don’t use it as fuel. We know why we are here, we know what we want, and we arrive very hungry. We want to have the next win. We respect our opponent, but we don’t dip into historic events and we don’t make it bigger than it is,” Tuchel said.
England has faced Argentina 5 times at the World Cup, with the Three Lions winning three of those encounters. The Argentine side, nicknamed La Albiceleste, has, however, won two of the three knockout-stage matches between the two sides. The last World Cup match between the two sides was a group-stage game played at the 2002 World Cup. It ended 1-0 in England’s favour.
England reached the semi-finals of the current tournament after beating Norway, while Argentina advanced past a 10-man Switzerland team as they continue their bid to retain the World Cup title, having clinched it previously in 2022.
More Stories
Join Capital Sports Updates
Get breaking sports news, match results, transfer updates and highlights directly on WhatsApp.