Tuchel Confirms Rice Fit For Argentina World Cup Semi-final Clash
England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that midfielder Declan Rice is fit to start Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against defending champions Argentina after recovering from illness.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference in Atlanta on Tuesday, Tuchel said Rice had regained fitness after being forced off at half-time during England’s quarter-final victory over Norway.
“Everyone is fit to start and everyone was in training except for Jarell (Quansah) who is suspended and Jordan Henderson,” Tuchel told reporters.
Henderson will miss the encounter after suffering a broken arm in a freak accident following England’s last-16 win over co-hosts Mexico.
Providing an update on Rice, Tuchel said, “Rice is ready to start and as well recovered as possible.”
The England coach also looked ahead to another chapter in the long-running football rivalry between England and Argentina, describing it as one of the biggest fixtures in international football.
“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.
“We expect an intense and emotional match, with a lot of momentum swings,” said the German.
The rivalry between the two nations includes Argentina’s famous 2-1 victory in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, when Diego Maradona scored both the controversial “Hand of God” goal and a stunning solo effort widely regarded as one of the greatest goals in tournament history.
Argentina also eliminated England on penalties in the 1998 Round of 16 after David Beckham was sent off.
However, Tuchel insisted his players were not drawing motivation from those past encounters.
He stated, “We don’t use it as a fuel.
“We know why we are here, we know what we want, we were never shy of expecting that from ourselves, and of saying it or of dreaming it.
“We are in the semi-finals, 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.”
England booked their place in the semi-finals after defeating Norway, while Argentina advanced to the last four as they continue their bid to retain the World Cup title.
