Haaland puts the pressure on England — and Tuchel still doesn't know who will stop him
With Guehi doubtful and Rice ill, Tuchel has no idea who will contain Haaland on Saturday. And the Norwegian made sure to hand every bit of the pressure to the English.
Erling Haaland has scored seven goals in four games at this World Cup — two of them against Brazil in the round of sixteen — and yet he arrived on the eve of the quarter-finals insisting the pressure is not on him. It's on England.
"The pressure is all on them," the Norwegian striker made clear, going on to describe the English as one of the "clear favourites" for the title. Pure mischief. Message sent.
And to make matters worse: on the other side, Thomas Tuchel still doesn't know who will stop Haaland on Saturday, in Miami.
Marc Guehi, the first-choice centre-back, is carrying a hamstring tendon injury picked up in the win over Mexico and will be reassessed on Friday. If he doesn't train with the group, the doubt becomes an almost certain absence. According to Sky Sports, the problem is more serious than initially thought — it is a strain, not merely muscular fatigue.
Declan Rice is also a concern. The midfielder has not trained for the second consecutive day due to a gastrointestinal virus, which has compounded a neural issue that was already affecting his lower back and hamstring. The coaching staff has taken steps to prevent the bug from spreading through the squad.
The good news is Reece James: the full-back returned to full training for the first time since the injury he suffered in the goalless draw with Ghana. Even so, according to The Guardian, he is expected to start on the bench.
If Guehi doesn't play, Tuchel will have to improvise at centre-back to face the tournament's in-form striker. To make things worse, Jarell Quansah — who played at right-back — is suspended for two matches following his red card against Mexico, a punishment confirmed by FIFA for serious foul play.
The Norwegians, meanwhile, are living through the greatest moment in their country's football history. Local commentators have already described the clash as "the biggest event ever held in Norway." Haaland knows that — and he knows exactly what he's doing by pretending he doesn't.
The Golmetria model gives England a 10.89% chance of winning the title. They are favourites, yes. But heading into Saturday without knowing who will stop Haaland is not exactly the position a favourite wants to be in.