England made it through the group stage of the World Cup without any major problems. They defeated Iran 6-2 in the first match. They then drew a goalless draw with the USA and finally won 3-0 against Wales. The match of the 1/8 finals with Senegal ended with the same result. Now Gareth Southgate’s players face a much more difficult task. They will face the defending champions France in the quarter-finals. It is possible that the European runners-up will have to manage without two key players.
England seriously weakened. Rice and Wilson missed practice. Nobody wants to reveal what’s wrong with the players
Declan Rice and Callum Wilson were absent from Wednesday’s training session, The Sun reported. However, the coaching staff did not reveal what ails the players. The media speculated that Rice caught a cold. “Perhaps a fever or general weakness,” said one journalist. The Englishman is unlikely to be seriously injured, which means he should be fit for the match against France. However, if Rice fails to recover in time, it will be a big weakness for the team. The West Ham United midfielder has been included in the starting eleven for each of the four World Cup matches. Experts agree that Rice played a key role in advancing the team to the quarter-finals.
In the case of Wilson, the situation is more complicated. The media reports that the Newcastle United player suffered a minor injury. He missed Monday’s training session for the reserve players and now also missed Wednesday’s practice. However, it is known that Wilson trains individually, which he announced via social media. “Recharging energies and recovering,” he wrote on Instagram. The striker appeared in two group stage matches – against Iran and Wales – both times coming off the bench.
Despite minor staffing problems, Gareth Southgate is optimistic ahead of the meeting with France. – We have a great team. Two great soccer nations will clash in the quarter-finals, so this clash is sure to be exciting. France are an outstanding team with a phenomenal tournament record and some outstanding players. So without a doubt we will have to show our highest level. I believe we can win,” he said.
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The quarter-final match between England and France will take place on Saturday 10 December. Start at 20:00. The winner will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the match between Morocco and Portugal.
Source: Sport
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