England face Argentina in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals tonight, with Thomas Tuchel pondering some big selection calls.
The Three Lions meet Lionel Messi and co in Atlanta on Wednesday as they bid to reach their first World Cup final since 1966.
All of England’s players took part in a training session at their base in Kansas City on Tuesday, except for Jordan Henderson, who is out of the tournament following surgery on that freak arm injury suffered after the last-16 win over Mexico.
Tuchel took Declan Rice off at half-time in the quarter-final victory against Norway on Saturday, with assistant manager Anthony Barry confirming soon after that the Arsenal midfielder was unable to play 90 minutes due to a sickness bug that had kept him in bed for three days.
Rice - who has also been dealing with neural pain in his hamstring and lower back as well as a calf issue - looked exhausted after the game and Tuchel’s staff have been keeping a close eye on his recovery.
Rice has since shaken off both the illness and fatigue and there is hope that he will start as usual against Argentina.
Reece James came on in midfield in the second half against Norway for his first appearance since the Ghana game in Group L, following a hamstring injury.
He is the only fit natural right-back in the squad and Tuchel must decide whether to deploy him there from the start tonight or keep centre-back Ezri Konsa in that position instead.
If he opts for James, Tuchel would then pick one out of John Stones, Marc Guehi or Konsa to leave on the bench. All three impressed against Norway as England held on for victory after extra time.
On the opposite flank, Djed Spence will be pushing to replace Nico O’Reilly at left-back after another impactful cameo at the weekend. The Manchester City defender has been nursing a hamstring complaint, but that is expected to have eased.
Noni Madueke did not impress against Norway, with Bukayo Saka much more lively off the bench, so his position will be under serious threat. Alternatively, Tuchel could decide to persist with Madueke and keep Saka in reserve as another successful impact substitute.
England have no disciplinary issues to contend with except for Jarell Quansah, who is serving the second match of an extended two-game ban for his red card against Mexico.
Jordan Henderson is unavailable for the remainder of the World Cup due to his broken wrist. He has been wearing a full-arm cast but has stayed with the group.
Predicted England XI vs Argentina (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane
Suspended: Quansah
Injured: J Henderson
Time and date: 8pm BST on Wednesday July 15, 2026
Venue: Atlanta Stadium
How to watch: BBC One
