England's coach Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Declan Rice is fit to start in the World Cup semi-final against reigning champions Argentina. Rice, who has been struggling with illness, came off at half-time in the quarter-final victory over Norway. However, Tuchel assured reporters that Rice is ready to start and has recovered as much as possible.
The semi-final match, set to take place in Atlanta, will renew the long-standing rivalry between England and Argentina. This fixture has a storied history, including the 1986 quarter-final in Mexico City where Diego Maradona scored twice to knock England out, and the 1998 last-16 tie which Argentina won on penalties after David Beckham was sent off.
Tuchel emphasized that while the rivalry is well-known, the team is focused on the present. 'We don't use it as a fuel,' he said. '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.'
England will be without Jarell Quansah, who is suspended, and Jordan Henderson, who is out after breaking his arm in a freak accident at the end of England's win over co-hosts Mexico in the last 16. Despite these absences, Tuchel is optimistic about his team's chances.
'Everyone is fit to start and everyone was in training except for Jarell and Jordan,' Tuchel told reporters. '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.'
