^ ^ Why three England stars missed training ahead of Norway World Cup clash

Thomas Tuchel watches on during Wednesday’s training session (Picture: Getty Images)

Three England players sat out of training on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s huge World Cup quarter-final with Norway.

The Three Lions are back at their training base in Kansas City, preparing at the Swope Soccer Village for this weekend’s game, which is taking place in Miami.

It is not a clean bill of health in the England squad before the massive clash with the Norwegians, with Thomas Tuchel keeping an eye on fitness issues.

Jordan Henderson is already ruled out of the match, and the rest of the tournament, after he ‘completely smashed’ his left forearm in celebrating the last 16 win over Mexico.

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Bellingham has stood tall for Thomas Tuchel (Picture: FIFA via Getty)

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The Brentford midfielder is staying with the squad, but has undergone surgery and will not play again this summer.

There are less serious issues elsewhere in camp, but serious enough to see Reece James, Declan Rice and Marc Guehi all miss training on Wednesday.

The Sun report that both Rice and Guehi are expected to be fine to face Norway, but are managing ongoing issues.

England have returned to Kansas City between matches (Picture: Getty Images)

Rice has been dealing with a hamstring complaint for months, but has been playing through it for club and country.

The Arsenal star was left out of the final group game against Panama but has started all four other games for England at the World Cup.

He will be in midfield again this weekend unless anything goes wrong when he does train this week.

Guehi is reportedly dealing with ‘muscle fatigue’ but is also expected to start in Miami, likely partnering Ezri Konsa again at centre-back.

Declan Rice has been playing through pain all tournament (Picture: Getty Images)

James is the only serious uncertainty ahead of the quarter-finals as he continues his recovery from a hamstring problem picked up in the group stage.

The Chelsea captain started the first two games of the tournament but has not played since the goalless draw with Ghana.

Tuchel hinted ahead of the Mexico win that James was closing in on a return and there is hope that he will be fit enough to be involved against Norway, but a place in the starting XI seems unlikely.

With Jarell Quansah suspended after his red card in the last round, Djed Spence appears the likeliest option to start at right-back against Norway, as he did against DR Congo in the last 32.

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^ ^ Keir Starmer drops huge hint over bank holiday if England win the World Cup

England play in the quarter-finals on Saturday (Picture: FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Sir Keir Starmer has strongly hinted there will be a bank holiday to mark England winning the World Cup if the Three Lions end 60 years of hurt this summer.

Thomas Tuchel’s side have reached the last 16 of the competition having seen off Mexico in an all-time classic at the Azteca Stadium in the early hours of Monday morning.

Norway, led by Manchester City star Erling Haaland, await in the quarter-finals on Saturday night in Miami.

Should they be victorious, England will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals with the final taking place on Sunday 19 July in New Jersey.

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Starmer is widely expected to step down as prime minister the following day and hand over the keys to no10 to Andy Burnham.

England have not reached a World Cup final since their last triumph in 1966. But if that long wait does come to an end, Starmer has suggested one of his last acts could be giving the green light to a special day to celebrate.

‘On the question of a bank holiday, I think I don’t want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final,’ Starmer said.

England fans could get another day to celebrate (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

The extra bank holiday would likely fall on 24 July – the Friday following the final.

The government opted against granting a bank holiday last Monday following England’s win over Mexico which had a delayed kick-off of 2am that morning.

Bellingham scored twiceMichael Steele/Getty Images)

Instead, pubs were granted permission to stay open until 5am with boozers across the country packed out as Tuchel’s side sealed a historic 3-2 win.

‘Have another shot and text your bosses to say you’re not coming in tomorrow,’ Jude Bellingham, who scored twice in Mexico City, said in his post-match message to fans.

‘My god, if you can’t enjoy a night like this, just for one night, then I don’t know what it’s worth.’

Starmer won’t intervene over Quansah red card

The only blemish on a glorious night for England against Mexico was a red card shown to Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, sent off for a reckless challenge in the second-half.

It came amid the storm surrounding Donald Trump’s decision to personally step in to ensure USA striker Folarin Balogun was available to play against Belgium in their last 16 match.

Quansah was shown a straight red card (Picture: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Balogun had been sent off in the previous game but FIFA made the unprecedented move of suspending his red card after talks between Trump and Gianni Infantino.

But Starmer has no plans to step in try and get Quansah’s red overturned.

‘I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve had to rescind the red card that we received in the early hours of Monday,’ Starmer said.

‘I hasten to add, I haven’t attempted to do that.’

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^ ^ Alan Shearer sends Bruno Guimaraes transfer warning to Arsenal as Newcastle set asking price

Bruno Guimaraes has his heart set on a move to Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Alan Shearer has warned Arsenal they won’t be able to sign Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes on the cheap.

Following Brazil’s exit from the World Cup, Bruno is understood to have informed his current employers of his desire to join the Premier League champions.

With Declan Rice’s marathon campaign still ongoing, Mikel Arteta is keen to add greater depth to his midfield engine room.

The club’s current record signing was nursed through the run-in last season given his various back and hamstring strains and Thomas Tuchel has been forced handle his midfield dynamo with care during the World Cup.

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Whether Rice is ready for the start of the new season remains to be seen and, in any case, he is likely to be given an extended break regardless of any potential injury.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are still licking their wounds following a disappointing season which saw them fail to qualify for Europe.

That hammer blow has contributed to their hand being forced and resulted in the sales of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham.

Newcastle could eventually earn £100million from the sale of the Italy international and Shearer has warned Arsenal it will take a similar fee to secure the signing of Bruno.

Arsenal want to sign Bruno Guimaraes amid concerns about Declan Rice (Picture: Getty)

He told Betfair:  ‘I think he’ll stay. I think it would be a really bad look for Newcastle if they sold Tonali and Guimaraes.

‘And there’d be a lot of angry fans and rightly so. Because he’s a very, very talented player and I think he’s been great for Newcastle.

‘He understands the area. He understands the football club. So, I would be more than happy if he committed to the club and he doesn’t want to go anywhere.

‘I’d feel confident the club won’t sell him and if Tonali was 100 mil then Bruno would be more than that if he was to go.

Tottenham have completed the signing of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle (Picture: Getty)

‘Maybe this news is his agent trying to get a new deal out of Newcastle.’

According to Brazilian outlet eglobo, the Magpies are demanding £90m for the 28-year-old who currently has two years left on his contract.

Arsenal have indicated they are prepared to go £70m for a player they have coveted ever since he made his breakthrough with his boyhood club Athletico Paranaense.

The Gunners came close to signing Bruno again when he left Lyon for the Premier Leauge but were usurped by Newcastle whose ambitious move saw them beat Arsenal to his services.

Having played such a key role in establishing Newcastle as a genuine force to be reckoned with during his four-year spell at St James’ Park, Bruno will not agitate for a move but has made no secret of his desire to join Arsenal and play for Arteta.

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^ ^ Colombia star takes swipe at FIFA after painful World Cup exit

Colombia fell short against Switzerland but was it a level playing field? (Picture: Getty Images)

Colombia’s Jhon Arias says teams were not ‘competing on equal terms’ after a painful penalty shootout defeat to Switzerland in the last 16 of the World Cup.

In one of the least memorable games of the tournament, Switzerland edged into the quarter-finals after a goalless draw.

Davinson Sanchez and Cucho Hernandez both missed from the spot for Colombia, allowing Ruben Vargas to score the winning penalty for the Swiss.

They will go on to face Argentina in the quarter-finals, while Colombia head home frustrated with the scheduling of their matches.

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Tuesday’s match was in Vancouver after they had beaten Ghana in the last 32 in Kansas City.

Colombia’s group games were held in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Miami, meaning all five matches were in different cities.

In contrast, Switzerland played their first two matches of the World Cup in Santa Clara and Inglewood (both in California), before three games on the spin in Vancouver.

Jhon Arias says ‘that’s how this industry works’ (Picture: Getty Images)

While not wishing to make excuses, Arias pointed out that it was hardly a level playing field.

‘It’s difficult to answer because I could be punished, but that’s how this industry works,’ the former Wolves midfielder said, via ESPN.

‘We don’t all compete on equal terms, but that’s not a new problem. It doesn’t end here, it continues and the trend is for it to get worse. That’s how football works, it’s nothing new. We have to compete wherever we are.

‘Obviously, traveling to three countries affected my physical condition, but that’s not an excuse.’

Colombia conceded just one goal at the World Cup (Picture: Getty Images)

The 28-year-old, who now plays for Palmeiras, also looked at what his country could do differently, in what was a solid World Cup performance, but not what they had hoped for.

‘It’s inexplicable. Unfortunately, we were once again knocked out, and with this bitter taste,’ he said. ‘We had enormous hope and believed we could make it to the final day, but something was missing, because we’re leaving the World Cup prematurely, in the round of 16.

‘With a cool head, we had a good World Cup, but that’s not enough. That’s football. We leave with a bad taste in our mouths, but also with the certainty that there are things we need to adjust and correct. We are on a path that can bring us great achievements in the future, because we already deserve it.

Granit Xhaka was overcome with emotion after Switzerland's penalty shootout success 🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/0iBfwJnr5b

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 7, 2026

‘We all want the same thing: to win and conquer important titles with the national team, because our people deserve it. They always support us, show confidence, create hope, and in the end we always leave empty-handed.

‘Hopefully this will serve to provoke a change in the national team, because it’s enough that we’ve been at the door and haven’t made it to the last day . I firmly believe that God has great things in store for us, but we still need to do everything humanly possible to get there.’

Switzerland progress to face Argentina on Saturday in Kansas City.

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^ ^ Norway ridicule ‘sickness bug’ claim before England World Cup match

Erling Haaland’s double against Brazil set up Norway’s quarter-final tie against England this weekend (Getty)

Norway’s team doctor has hit back at reports suggesting that the squad are battling a sickness bug ahead of their World Cup quarter-final against England.

Erling Haaland’s second-half double sealed Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil to set up a quarter-final tie against England, which kicks off in Miami at 10pm BST on Saturday.

Speaking ahead of the game against England, Norway’s head coach, Stale Solbakken, raised concerns over the health of his squad due to the amount of travelling required throughout the World Cup.

Norway set up their World Cup training base in Greensboro, North Carolina, and have travelled across the United States to play their games in Boston, New York and Dallas.

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‘We’ve really only had Jorgen [Strand Larsen] who has had ​a fever, but then there’s been a bit of ​coughing and rasping scattered throughout,’ Solbakken said.

‘But there’s air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. There’s 50 people [in Norway’s ​travelling party], so it would be strange if ​something or other didn’t crop up.’

Stale Solbakken admits there has been ‘​coughing and rasping’ among his Norway players (Shutterstock)

However, Norway’s team doctor, Ola Sand, insists reports of illness in the squad have been overblown.

‘All players are healthy now,’ Sand told Nettavisen.

‘Very little fuss considering that we have been close together for almost six weeks.’

When asked about the headlines in the English media about the alleged ‘sickness bug’ spreading across Norway’s squad, Sand replied: ‘So great that they believe this. We are in control.’

Jorgen Strand Larsen was in hospital for two days before the start of the World Cup (Shutterstock)

However, speaking before Norway’s 2-1 win against Brazil, striker Jorgen Strand Larsen admitted the severity of his illness at the start of the tournament was not fully disclosed.’

‘I had been in the hospital bed for two days straight and was really sick,’ Strand Larsen told Nettavisen.

‘At first you get scared. I woke up the day before the match and felt it a little, and then it was worse than I had imagined. I got ‘FOMO’ [fear of missing out] and thought I wouldn’t be allowed to join.’

Strand Larsen was able to recover quickly as he was named on the bench for Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq in their opening World Cup group game on June 16.

‘Many people told me that my smile was back in place in the morning [on match day], and then they realized that I was starting to get better again,’ he said.

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^ ^ FIFA receives official Argentina complaint ahead of possible England World Cup game

Argentina’s win was clouded in controversy (Picture: Elsa/Getty Images)

Egypt have filed a formal complaint with FIFA following their World Cup defeat to Argentina, demanding the officials at the heart of the controversy be kicked out of the competition.

The defending world champions were on the brink of a last 16 exit in Atlanta on Tuesday before staging a remarkable comeback. Trailing 2-0 with 11 minutes left on the clock, Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez struck to rescue La Albiceleste – setting up a quarter-final showdown with Switzerland.

Should Argentina with that game, they could meet England in a titanic semi-final if the Three Lions beat Norway on Saturday.

Their fightback against Egypt was clouded in controversy however with The Pharaohs denied a penalty moments before Julian Alvarez started the counter that led to Fernandez’s late winner.

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Alvarez tackled Mohamed Salah inside the penalty box, appearing to catch his foot before taking the ball. Immediately after as the ball broke loose, Alexis Mac Allister appeared to pull Hamdi Fathy. VAR did not appear to check either incident with Argentina scoring moments later.

Egypt had already seen a goal ruled out earlier in the game after Zico capped a wonderful counter attack. A VAR checked deemed Lisandro Martinez had been fouled in the build-up.

According to Argentina’s TYC Sports, president of the Egyptian Football Association Hany Abo Rida has demanded a formal investigation into the refereeing decisions.

Egypt had a goal chalked off (Picture: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

As part of his complaint, he has requested the match official from Wednesday’s game, Francois Letexier, and his team be excluded from refereeing for the remainder of the competition.

Egypt are demanding an investigation into their disallowed goal and the two infringements that took place moments before Argentina’s third goal.

Fifa are yet to take any decision on Egypt’s request with their coaching staff and players furiously accusing the officials and the competition of favouring the defending world champions.

Egypt felt huge decisions went against them (Picture: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

‘The referee wasn’t good, he was unfair. His injustice was clear. He persecuted us from the start of the match. He doesn’t want us to win,’ said Zico, whose goal was chalked off before scoring again later in the second-half.

‘It was a rigged game. It wasn’t our fault. That referee… it seems like this match was rigged. We were winning 2-0, and he kept coming at us.

‘Congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup, it seems.’

Head coach Hossam Hassam also launched an extraordinary attack on match officials and FIFA, accusing them of going to extreme lengths to ‘to keep Messi’ in the competition.

‘We looked better than the reigning champions – better in everything – but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,’ he said.

‘Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.

Messi scored his eighth goal of the competition (Picture: Anadolu)

‘In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at every level.

‘There seem to be pressures from the Argentina side on this outcome. We were objecting to the selection of the referee because of the French situation [Argentina beat France in the 2022 World Cup final], but everybody has to suffer at some point and we suffered.

‘We haven’t seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out, it was not even checked by the VAR and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed.

‘We have all seen the shirt pulled back [by Mac Allister] and not even a VAR check. Life is unfair, normal life is unfair, so why is there no fairness in sports?

‘I’m not convinced by this outcome and the way things unfolded in this match. I want to put it in beautiful words and say hard luck, but we have been treated unfairly and it has been an injustice.’

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