The comeback king Declan Rice has sent shockwaves of optimism through the England camp ahead of their crunch semi-final showdown with Argentina. The Arsenal ace has shaken off illness and injury to join his teammates at training, sparking hopes that he'll be fit to start the big one in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Rice's availability had been a major concern after he was withdrawn at half-time during England's nail-biting 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway. Manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that Rice was bedbound for three days leading up to that match, battling an illness contracted after the last-16 thriller in Mexico. And to add fuel to the fire, Rice has been dealing with a persistent hamstring issue since Christmas – a worry that had many questioning his fitness for the tournament.
But with Rice back on the training pitch, England's chances of pulling off a giant-killing act against Lionel Messi and Co. have just got a whole lot brighter. A win at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium would seal their place in Sunday's showpiece final at the MetLife Stadium – and give them the chance to make history.
While Rice's return is a massive boost, England will be without Jordan Henderson – the only member of the squad not to train – who's still nursing an arm injury sustained during their trip to Mexico. Jarell Quansah also misses out, serving a two-match ban after being sent off in Estadio Azteca.
But on the flip side, right-back Reece James is pushing for a starting spot after returning from a three-game absence with a hamstring issue. He came off the bench to help see England over the line against Norway – and his increasing fitness has given Thomas Tuchel even more selection headaches as he plots the perfect team to take on Argentina.