Key events<\/p>\n
Another update on Christian Eriksen. Denmark\u2019s national team doctor, Morten Boesen, has just posted the following on his Instagram feed:<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke with Christian this morning, and he is doing well. He is with his family and in good spirits. The expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eriksen has shared the post.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n More news from England. Declan Rice has been named vice-captain by boss Thomas Tuchel. Rice was one of the Arsenal contingent who arrived at England\u2019s pre-tournament base in West Palm Beach on Saturday after they were given extra time to recover from their Champions League exploits. Tuchel is unsure if Rice, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka will be involved against Costa Rica.<\/p>\n As for the skipper, Harry Kane has been playing down all the scare stories about players melting in the heat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe drinks breaks help. A lot of people talk about the heat but I don\u2019t think it will be as big a factor as people say. Myself and a few of the boys felt fine in the first game. We\u2019ve been training in it and it\u2019s not been too bad. I think it\u2019s easy just to say it\u2019s going to be really tough as it\u2019s different to what we are used to. But we are all athletes, we are professionals and have all played in warm-weather conditions before.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Let\u2019s go inside the England camp. David Hytner is one of our men in Tampa and here\u2019s his latest report ahead of the Three Lions\u2019 friendly with Costa Rica on Wednesday night. That game takes place exactly one week before England\u2019s Group L opener against Croatia (17 June, 9pm BST).<\/p>\n \u201cThe nailed-on picks appear to be Jordan Pickford, Reece James, Marc Gu\u00e9hi, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane. Which leaves some fighting to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n Note that the above list doesn\u2019t include Jude Bellingham. Will he get the nod over Morgan Rogers?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Our latest World Cup<\/a> team guide focuses on holders Argentina. And it\u2019s not just all about Lionel Messi.<\/p>\n \u201cAlmost two thirds of the 2022 squad remains, but it now also includes some promising young players such as Nico Paz, who has been in excellent form at Como. They will also have established stars like Lautaro Mart\u00ednez, who aims to be in top condition for this World Cup: something he couldn\u2019t achieve in Qatar.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking of which, Martinez scored from the spot as Argentina beat Honduras 2-0 in a friendly last night. Messi didn\u2019t feature as Argentina wrap him in cotton wool after the skipper felt some muscle fatigue in his hamstring playing for Inter Miami on 24 May.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.30 EDT<\/p>\n Positive update on Christian Eriksen after collapse<\/p>\n This was an alarming and upsetting development last night but thankfully the updates on Christian Eriksen are positive after he collapsed in Denmark\u2019s friendly against Ukraine. The former Manchester United midfielder, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a European Championship match in 2021, was quickly tended to by medics in Odense, while the referee abandoned the match early.<\/p>\n Denmark\u2019s national team doctor, Morten Boesen, said Eriksen was \u201cbriefly unconscious, but regained consciousness very quickly \u2026 and walked off the pitch by himself\u201d.<\/p>\n After the incident against Finland in 2021, during which Boesen led the successful resuscitation effort<\/a>, Eriksen was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in his chest, which can reset the heart after a cardiac arrest. The device allowed him to resume his playing career at club and international level<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speaking after Sunday\u2019s incident, Boesen said: \u201cThe pacemaker responded as it should \u2026 He will now undergo further examinations at the hospital to determine what caused the incident. We are in ongoing contact with him and the doctors at the hospital. But Christian is doing well, and he asked me to send his regards to all the players and tell them that he was okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.21 EDT<\/p>\n Lamal could play in Spain’s opener<\/p>\n Good news for Spain. Rumours that Lamine Yamal may miss Spain\u2019s first two World Cup<\/a> group games (against Cape Verde and South Africa) may be wide of the mark.<\/p>\n The 18-year-old Barcelona winger was absent for the final six matches of the season due to a torn hamstring and hasn\u2019t played since April. But, speaking to our very own Sid Lowe, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente gave this encouraging update:<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s getting better fast, hitting all the targets earlier. I think he\u2019ll be able to play the first game, but that doesn\u2019t mean [he will]. We\u2019ll evaluate if he has to play a little bit, not play, wait for the second game.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.21 EDT<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s World Cup<\/a> squad landed in Mexico yesterday amid a bitter diplomatic row, after the United States refused to issue visas for some team support staff.<\/p>\n The squad spent nearly three weeks at a training camp in Turkey, using their time there to apply for visas to travel to Mexico, Canada and the United States. On the eve of their departure, the players finally received their US visas, according to Washington\u2019s envoy to Turkey, Tom Barrack.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s embassy in Turkey said support staff had been denied visas, however. Fifteen administrative and management staff are concerned, an Iranian diplomat and state TV said.<\/p>\n All three of Iran\u2019s Group G games will be held in the United States (Los Angeles and Seattle) but, adding to the tensions, Iran\u2019s ambassador to Mexico said on Saturday the squad had been notified that, under their visa conditions, the team must enter and leave US soil on the same day as their matches.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s football federation \u2013 whose chief, Mehdi Taj, was reportedly among those denied a visa \u2013 has described the decision as \u201cpolitical interference in sport in its worst form.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n