Declan Rice fit for England's World Cup semi-final clash with Argentina

England midfielder Declan Rice is fit to play in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against Argentina, manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed Tuesday.

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Everyone is fit to start and everyone was in training except for Jarell (Quansah) who is suspended and Jordan Henderson.

Tuchel stated at a pre-match press conference that Rice had recovered from the illness that forced him off at halftime during England's quarter-final win over Norway. "Rice is ready to start and as well recovered as possible," Tuchel told reporters. The squad is otherwise healthy, with the exception of Jarell Quansah, who is suspended, and Jordan Henderson, who suffered a broken arm after England's last-16 victory.

The German coach acknowledged the deep-seated rivalry between England and Argentina, calling it one of the biggest fixtures in international football. He anticipates an intense and emotional match with significant momentum shifts. However, Tuchel emphasized that his players are not drawing motivation from past encounters, such as Argentina's 1986 quarter-final victory or their penalty shootout win in 1998.

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Rice is ready to start and as well recovered as possible.

"We don't use it as a fuel," Tuchel said. "We know why we are here, we know what we want... We are in the semi-finals, and we arrive very hungry. We want to have the next win. We respect our opponent but we don’t dip into historic events and we don’t make it bigger than it is."

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It is a big rivalry, two big football nations, everyone who loves football and follows the World Cup knows about this and about what it brings. We expect an intense and emotional match, with a lot of momentum swings.

England secured their semi-final spot by defeating Norway, while Argentina advanced to the final four as they continue their defense of the World Cup title. The match is set to be a high-stakes encounter between two footballing giants with a storied history.

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We don’t use it as a fuel. We know why we are here, we know what we want, we were never shy of expecting that from ourselves, and of saying it or of dreaming it. We are in the semi-finals, and we arrive very hungry. We want to have the next win. We respect our opponent but we don’t dip into historic events and we don’t make it bigger than it is.