Online Reporter
DECLAN RICE has given England a massive fitness boost and expects to start against Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals tonight.
The Arsenal midfielder was substituted at half-time of the 2-1 win over Norway after being struck by a bug.
Rice is not yet 100 per cent as he continues his recovery but he has insisted to team medics that he will be okay for the big clash in Atlanta.
After the game, Tuchel said: “We knew Declan had struggled over the last three days, where he was in bed most of the time.”
Rice had spent two days in bed with the illness before the quarter-final victory.
It is the latest issue Rice has had to battle through, having dealt with pain in his hamstring and lower back.
The midfielder has been dealing with the issue since December.
Jude Bellingham is also clear to face Argentina.
The England star has previously suffered issues with his left shoulder and underwent an operation last summer.
And the Argentine media have been in a frenzy after images emerged of Bellingham clutching the top of his arm during the 2-1 win over Norway on Saturday.
Bellingham also touched the top of his arm while speaking to the media after the quarter-final victory in Miami.
Yet Bellingham, who still suffers from stiffness due to the issue, has insisted it does not affect him during games.
He has scored six times during the tournament across the Atlantic, including his brace against Norway.
The effort saw him add to his two goals in the previous round against Mexico at the Azteca.
Meanwhile, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has faced World Cup penalty shootouts, semi-finals and some of the biggest names in football during his record-breaking career, but there is one challenge that has eluded him until now.
When England take on Lionel Messi and reigning champions Argentina in today’s World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, Pickford will come up against the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner for the first time.
For a player who broke Peter Shilton’s record for most England World Cup appearances when he started his 18th match in the quarter-final against Norway, the occasion carries a sense of history.
The 32-year-old Everton player was eight when England last met Argentina, during the group stage of the 2002 World Cup.
“I remember being sat in school on the floor watching when the teacher wheeled in the TV, so I’ll never forget that moment,” Pickford told reporters on Monday.
“He’s scored so many goals and he’s contributed to so many goals all his career, and it’s great to be able to finally come up against him after so long and watching him as a kid,” Pickford said of the 39-year-old Messi, who is playing in his sixth World Cup.
The goalkeeper warned, however, about treating Argentina as a one-man team.
“We all know how good Messi is, but we also know how good Argentina are, Pickford said. “We’ve got our thoughts on their other strengths as well, and the other weaknesses we can take advantage of.”
England arrived among the favourites and have navigated numerous pressure situations, including a 10-man win over Mexico, throughout the tournament, which Pickford said underlined a resilience that has become a defining characteristic of Thomas Tuchel’s side.
“I’ve always said the togetherness gets you there. Then the ability shows as well,” he said. “But the togetherness, if you’ve got that togetherness like we have, that’s a great tool to have.”
DARK ARTS
Argentina’s run to the semi-finals has been accompanied by complaints over refereeing decisions and the team’s mastery of football’s so-called “dark arts”, but Pickford said England would not be distracted by anything.
“Throughout the tournament, you’ve seen our desire to win titles.
‘‘We’ve not got into any scuffles or anything, we’ve been very well respected within the game,” he said. “Decisions go our way, they don’t go our way. We just reset, and we let the football do the talking.” – Sun/Reuters
