Thomas Tuchel handed quadruple boost for England vs Argentina World Cup semi-final

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13 July 2026

The dream scenario for Thomas Tuchel has become a reality ahead of England’s

World Cup

semi-final

Marc Guehi,

Jude Bellingham

, Nico O’Reilly and

Declan Rice

are all available for the match after they avoided a yellow card and subsequent one-game suspension in the 2-1 victory over Norway.

FIFA’s current rules concerning yellow cards say any player booked in two separate games will have to serve a one-match ban as a punishment.

Bellingham was cautioned against DR Congo in the round of 32 and Guehi, O’Reilly and Rice all received yellow cards against Mexico in the last-16.

If any of the quarter received a card against Norway, they would have been suspended for the

Argentina

semi-final.

However, despite a tight and cagey game, all four avoided that fate and will be available against the 2022

winners.

Bouncing back:

was taken off early against Norway

Getty

Rice did also receive a yellow card against Ghana in the group stage, but

FIFA

rules state the count resets after both the group stage and quarter-finals.

Therefore no

England

player is at risk of suspension for the

final (should they reach it), unless they receive a straight red card.

The same had applied to Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, whose yellow card against Panama during the group stage was scrubbed.

However, his straight red card for a foul on Mexico’s Jesus Gallardo in England’s last-16 victory at the Azteca Stadium has resulted in a two-game suspension,

after FIFA deemed the challenge serious foul play

. He will be available again should

reach the final.

The Three Lions’ availability boost - especially that of six-goal

. The

Real Madrid

midfielder has scored a brace against both Mexico and Norway to join captain Harry Kane as England’s joint-top goalscorer at the 2026

They both sit two goals behind France’s Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi - both on eight.

This will be Messi’s first ever game against

: he could have faced them after his August 2005 debut against Bosnia & Herzegovina,

but his red card in that game meant he missed facing the Three Lions in Switzerland a few months later

Era-defining: Maradona and

have history - could Messi be about to make his own?

That one ended 3-2 to

, thanks to a Michael Owen double. Prior,

and

had faced off in both the 1998 and 2002 editions of the

, with

knocking the

Three Lions

out in the last 16 on penalties following a controversial David Beckham red card.

In 2002, the two sides met in the group stage and drew 1-1 thanks to a Beckham penalty. However, their 1986

meeting is most famous: Diego Maradona’s double, consisting of the ‘Hand of God’ goal - alongside a strike considered among the best ever - knocked

out at the quarter-final stage.

With historical, political and footballing tensions rife between these two, Wednesday evening’s game in temperate Atlanta will be hard-fought, but the

should be relieved

starters like Rice, Guehi, O’Reilly and Bellingham can feature.

Thomas Tuchel did reveal post-match that Rice - who was substituted at half-time against Norway for Eberechi Eze - had spent “three days in bed” in the lead-up to the game, due to illness.

But the

Arsenal

midfielder should be available, as will Reece James, who featured from the bench against Norway. The Chelsea captain had been absent since an injury against Ghana in the group stage.

The same applies to Ezri Konsa, who played at right-back against Norway - Tuchel confirmed he was taken off with cramp in that game, rather than a muscular injury. He should also be available on Wednesday.

Marc Guehi and Declan Rice train in huge World Cup injury boost for England

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