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England have been struck by an untimely health concern ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash with Norway, as midfielder Declan Rice battles illness in the team’s Miami camp. The 27-year-old has now missed two consecutive training sessions, leaving manager Thomas Tuchel anxious about his availability while medical staff work tirelessly to contain the situation and prevent it from spreading to other members of the squad.

Tuchel is now grappling with a selection dilemma. The mood in the England camp has turned tense after Rice’s continued absence from training sessions ahead of Saturday’s crucial World Cup quarter-final against Norway. According to reports from the BBC, Rice’s condition has been worsened by the illness, which has aggravated an existing neural problem affecting his hamstring and lower back.

England’s medical team is acting swiftly to isolate the issue and avoid a wider outbreak. Meanwhile, Tuchel must also keep close tabs on defender Marc Guehi’s recovery, as the centre-back continues to nurse a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Norway have also faced minor health concerns in their camp. Captain Martin Odegaard admitted that a few players have been feeling under the weather due to sudden temperature changes in the United States. The Arsenal midfielder explained, “Yeah, it’s been a little bit. I think when you change temperature and air conditioning and all that, it’s normal. It’s nothing major to be honest. But yeah, we’ve had a few people feeling a bit sick but nothing major and should be all good for Saturday.”

However, Norway’s coach Stale Solbakken was quick to dismiss any speculation about a virus outbreak in his squad. The 58-year-old firmly stated that all players are in good health and fully prepared for the upcoming match. He clarified, “I think the illness is a rumour. The Odegaard who is sick is Martin’s uncle, who’s a physio, he’s sick, it’s not Martin. So everything is fine, every player is fine, so there’s no sickness among the players. There’s one or there’s been one or two in the staff. At this moment, we are all ready to go.”

As the focus turns to the field, the Miami Stadium will host what promises to be a fiercely contested quarter-final encounter. England, currently unbeaten in their last seven matches, will be eager to continue their strong form. Tuchel will take comfort from the return of Reece James to full training, providing a timely boost to the defence following Jarell Quansah’s suspension after his red card. Nevertheless, the English backline will need to be at their sharpest to contain Erling Haaland, who has been in exceptional form and leads Norway’s attack with seven goals in the tournament so far.