England have been hit by yet another injury scare ahead of their quarter-final clash with Norway national football team at the FIFA World Cup, as the home side’s defensive stability is now one of the major concerns.
Centre-back Marc Guehi is facing a late fitness test due to hamstring problems. But the 26-year-old was nowhere to be seen Thursday in Miami, where the team was training in preparation for the Round of 16 clash with Mexico national football team at 3 p.m. ET. The availability of his name is still unclear with the team in final preparations. If Guehi fails to come good in time, then manager Thomas Tuchel could have to make a defensive change.
Currently there is no easy option for Stones, only two other players have come close to replacing him in the past knockout game, both being Burn and speculations are now circulating of him replacing him again. England’s defence may be in doubt if they introduced a late change at centre-back against a disciplined Norwegian team. The midfield depth is also being watched with Declan Rice sitting out of a second consecutive training session with illness. The Arsenal FC midfielder also has continued problems in his hamstring and back, which has been a recurring issue over the course of the season.
But some in the camp are optimistically hopeful about his availability, reports showed. Reece James has come back to full training which is good news and he is expected to be in contention. The Chelsea FC full-back, who last saw action in the group-stage clash with the Ghana national football team, may be required to offer a much needed support at right-back. England’s squad depth and tactical flexibility will be tested as they prepare for a quarter-final of the kind they’d prefer to avoid in a stressful situation with several fitness-related variables.
