Thomas Tuchel is bidding to become the first foreign manager to win the World Cup. But on the eve of England's quarter-final against Norway, he is grappling with a deepening injury crisis that threatens to unravel his plans.
Declan Rice has missed two days of training after being isolated from the squad with a sickness bug. The Arsenal midfielder has been nursing a hamstring problem since Christmas and was seen with an icepack on his left hamstring during the 2-1 win over DR Congo in the last 32. Tuchel admitted Rice was playing with "terrible pain" but the 27-year-old lasted the full 90 minutes in England's 3-2 victory against Mexico last Sunday. Former England defender Stuart Pearce warned on talkSport that it would be "foolish" to play Rice if there is a risk of him breaking down.
“Thomas Tuchel faces key selection calls before Norway quarter-final as Rice and Guehi struggle with injuries.”
Marc Guehi, the Manchester City defender, will be assessed on Friday after sustaining a slight hamstring injury. In more positive news, right-back Reece James returned to training on Thursday and is in contention for Saturday's clash, a timely boost after Jarrel Quansah was handed a two-game ban following his red card against Mexico, leaving the squad short of options on the right.
The fitness concerns come at a moment of high drama — victory over Norway would set up England's second World Cup semi-final since 1990 and fourth in total. It is a stage far removed from the Stuttgart bar where Tuchel worked a student job in the late 1990s, hanging out with hip-hop stars and almost giving up on football entirely.
Ralf Rangnick, the respected German coach, recalled in an interview with the BBC how he launched Tuchel's coaching career. "When I found out that he was working in a bar in Stuttgart to earn his living, I could hardly believe it," Rangnick told former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger. "I called him and I said, 'what are you doing?' He said 'I have to earn my living there'. I said to him, 'Thomas, please, why don't you come to us in Stuttgart and work as a youth-team coach?'"
Tuchel had played under Rangnick at SSV Ulm, where Rangnick was pioneering zonal marking. The young defender was always interested in why the team played the way it did, Rangnick said, and after a few weeks as head coach "you can always pretty precisely tell which players could become a coach".
Tuchel's playing career was cut short by cartilage damage in his knees that left him barely able to walk up stairs. He underwent surgery at 23 but eventually retired. That disappointment, however, led him to a path that now sees him on the brink of history — if he can navigate a fitness crisis that threatens to derail England's World Cup dream.