England midfielder Declan Rice is going to be a key player for them ahead if their knockout match with DR Congo.
England head into their FIFA World Cup round-of-32 clash against DR Congo carrying an immense weight of expectation, but manager Thomas Tuchel has more than just the opposition on his mind as selection dilemmas and fitness concerns threaten to complicate matchday preparations.
The Three Lions have progressed to the knockout stages unbeaten, yet their opening performances have left plenty of room for improvement. England have often struggled to break down disciplined, structural teams that defend deep, and Tuchel expects another potentially frustrating evening against a resilient DR Congo side likely to sit back before looking to strike clinically on the counter-attack.
Defensively, England have been dealt a severe blow with injuries forcing Tuchel to completely rethink his back line. Serious questions remain over who will start at right-back, whilst the baseline fitness of several key players has also kept the coaching staff on edge throughout the build-up to the encounter.
However, the midfield could receive a highly timely boost, with Declan Rice expected to return to the starting line-up after managing a minor fitness concern. His anchoring presence alongside Jude Bellingham would offer England far greater spatial control and structural balance against a Congolese side that will look to heavily frustrate their illustrious opponents.
