2022 FIFA World Cup | Quarterfinals | England v France | Preview
Preview of the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match between England and France
England team news:
England’s win over Senegal was somewhat overshadowed by the news of a break-in at the home of Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling, who flew back to the UK over the weekend, but he will be back with the squad on Friday and should push for inclusion. Arsenal’s Ben White is also still absent for personal reasons.
Callum Wilson has recovered from a minor strain but was never expected to start, and Southgate was also been handed a slight scare with Declan Rice, who missed training on Wednesday due to illness, although his ailment is unlikely to prevent him from playing on Saturday.
Time to unite. Time to write a new chapter. pic.twitter.com/ahjmgY60jL
— England (@England) November 21, 2022
Many have tipped Southgate to revert to a three-man backline for the weekend, but the 52-year-old has hinted that he will stick with the tried-and-tested 4-3-3 setup that has paid dividends so far, allowing Henderson to link up with Rice and Bellingham in the midfield once more.
France team news:
Over at the Bleus camp, a media frenzy was sparked when top scorer Mbappe missed training on Tuesday due to discomfort in his ankle, but it was merely a false alarm, as the 23-year-old was back on the practice pitches on Wednesday and should form part of an unchanged XI.
Place au 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞 de la 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞 𝐝𝐮 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞 ! 🔥
🆚 Angleterre 🏴
📅 Samedi 10 décembre
⏰ 20h
📺 @TF1 #FiersdetreBleus #ANGFRA pic.twitter.com/TFFLiD9Ixd— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) December 9, 2022
Incredibly, France have won all nine of their World Cup matches that Mbappe has started, and his attacking partner Giroud – who has three goals to his name in Qatar – could equal a record set by a 38-year-old Roger Milla, who to date is the only 36+ player to score four goals at a single World Cup.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Jules Kounde will both miss any potential semi-final if they are yellow-carded here, but Deschamps is unlikely to factor in any on-field disciplinary infringements when selecting his best XI.
England possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Bellingham, Rice, Henderson; Saka, Kane, Foden
France possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
