Thomas Tuchel will come face to face with the referee he once branded 'absolutely terrible' when England face Norway in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final – and the German has received a timely triple fitness boost. Tuchel, whose team take on Norway at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (10pm BST, ITV), previously tore into French official Clement Turpin, rating his performance '1 out of 10' and calling it 'grade E' during an explosive outburst. Now Turpin will be the man in the middle for the biggest match of England's tournament so far.
Tuchel's preparations have been disrupted by two confirmed absentees. Veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson fractured his wrist while celebrating a goal against Mexico, ruling him out for the rest of the tournament. Centre-back Jarell Quansah is also unavailable, serving the first of a two-match ban after his red card in the same game. However, on Friday, Declan Rice, Marc Guehi and Reece James all returned to full team training, seemingly recovered from illnesses and injury niggles that had sidelined them. The trio's availability provides a massive lift for Tuchel ahead of the quarter-final.
“Tuchel faces referee he called '1 out of 10' as Rice, Guehi, James return; Henderson and Quansah out.”
Norway, meanwhile, have overcome their own sickness issues. Manager Stale Solbakken revealed a bug spread through the camp after their historic win over Brazil, and Jorgen Strand Larsen missed the opening game with a fever. But team doctor Ola Sand has confirmed the outbreak is over. 'All players are healthy now,' Sand told Norwegian outlet Nettavisen. 'There is very little fuss, considering that we have been close together for almost six weeks.' With both sides nursing fitness concerns, Saturday's clash at the Hard Rock Stadium promises high drama – and Tuchel's previous run-in with the referee adds an extra layer of tension.