Title holders Argentina and England are set for an epic World Cup semi-final showdown, with the fitness of key players in the spotlight.
Argentine talisman Lionel Messi is preparing for what will be his first appearance against England.
The 39-year-old has been on fire in the 2026 finals, sitting at the top of the goal-scoring chart alongside Kylian Mbappe with eight goals. However, Argentina have some concerns. The star captain suffered a cut above his right eye during the quarter-final against Switzerland.
There, Messi took a hit to the face from Granit Xhaka. He required medical attention during the hydration break as blood appeared above his eyelid.
Messi played the full match as Argentina prevailed 3-1 in extra time. However, for the first time in the tournament, Messi did not find the back of the net.
During the win over Switzerland, Cristian Romero and Leandro Paredes left the pitch in discomfort, with reports stating that players are beginning to feel the pressure of demanding travel schedules, heat and limited opportunities to recover.
Both Romero and Paredes are expected to feature against England, as they did not suffer any serious injuries against Switzerland.
The Three Lions, meanwhile, are hopeful that Declan Rice will be ready to go, having spent the last few days battling illness.
Arsenal midfielder Rice reportedly picked up a bug in Mexico and had to be taken off at half time against Norway.
"Declan, we made a decision in half-time to become more offensive, to have a bit of an offensive shift," England coach Thomas Tuchel explained.
"I made the decision when we were 1-0 down and didn't want to go back on the decision because of the equaliser."
According to reports, Rice is still not 100 per cent but is said to have shown enough improvement to be considered for the match against Argentina.
England could leave it late to take a call on Rice's participation.
