England vs. Argentina: Declan Rice winning fitness race for World Cup semifinal - sources

England vs. Argentina: Declan Rice winning fitness race for World Cup semifinal - sources

England midfielder Declan Rice is expected to overcome a recent illness and regain his place in the starting lineup for the World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta. The Arsenal player had been a major fitness concern for manager Thomas Tuchel following a health scare that left him bedridden for three days last week.

The sickness bug, believed to be food poisoning, struck Rice in the aftermath of the last 16 match in Mexico City 10 days ago. Despite the illness, Rice insisted on playing in the quarter-final against Norway in Miami. However, he was visibly short of full fitness and appeared drained and drawn as he left the stadium. Tuchel substituted the vice-captain at half-time, later admitting on Saturday that Rice was well below his peak and could not have survived 90 or 120 minutes.

Medical staff initially feared the illness might spread through the squad, but it remained an isolated case. Rice has since rejoined the team after no longer needing to isolate. According to reports, he trained fully on Monday in Kansas City during a closed-door session, the first full session following the Norway victory.

The recovery comes as Rice has also battled lower back issues affecting his hamstrings throughout the tournament. These injuries caused him to miss the group-stage win over Panama, the only match of the tournament he has not started. If he features against Argentina, he will earn his 79th senior international cap.

Squad Status and Selection

Tuchel is expected to have nearly a full squad available for the semi-final, though some players remain under monitoring after the extreme heat and humidity in Miami. Harry Kane, Elliot Anderson, Marc Guehi, and John Stones all played the full 120 minutes against Norway. Guehi had previously missed training sessions due to a hamstring tweak, and Stones had played only 35 minutes in the tournament prior to that match.

Several other fitness and selection updates include:

• Ezri Konsa: The Aston Villa defender is expected to be in contention to start at right-back despite being substituted with cramp against Norway.
• Nico O'Reilly: Expected to be available after a hamstring problem against Norway that did not result in a major strain.
• Reece James and Bukayo Saka: Both are pushing for starting roles after making positive impacts as second-half substitutes against Norway.
• Unavailable: Jarell Quansah is suspended, and Jordan Henderson remains out with a broken wrist.

Rice is likely to resume his midfield partnership with Elliot Anderson. While some sources suggest Rice is fit to start, others indicate Tuchel may make a late decision on the 27-year-old's involvement following a final training session at the Swope Soccer Village base in Kansas City.

Managing the Rivalry

The semi-final marks the first World Cup meeting between England and Argentina since 2002. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford emphasized the need for players to remain disciplined and not be distracted by the intense history between the two nations.

"You’ve seen throughout the tournament, you’ve seen our desire to win titles, we’ve not gotten into any scuffles or anything," Pickford said. "We’ve been very respectful within the game – if decisions go our way or if they don’t go our way, we just reset, we go again, and we let the football do the talking."

Jordan Pickford, England goalkeeper, via The Guardian

Pickford, who reached the semi-finals in 2018, also expressed excitement about facing Lionel Messi for the first time in his career, while noting that Argentina's overall strength is the primary threat. Local authorities in Atlanta are on high alert due to the expected volume of passionate fans in a stadium with many unsegregated seats.

Fifa has appointed American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate the match. The semi-final will determine if England can reach their first World Cup final in 60 years. The squad is scheduled to fly from Kansas City to Georgia on Tuesday, a trip estimated to take approximately two hours.