\u201cAcross the tournament, my minutes have been building. I\u2019m building,\u201d Saka told assembled media ahead of England\u2019s clash with Norway<\/a> in Miami. \u201cOf course, I would have loved to come to this tournament 100%, but that wasn\u2019t the case, and everyone\u2019s realised that, and they\u2019ve managed me in the best way possible. But right now, I\u2019m feeling great, and I\u2019m ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Saka\u2019s injury update proved to be about as unreliable as MIkel Arteta\u2019s usual offering.<\/p>\n England Confirmed Lineup vs. Norway\u20142026 World Cup Madueke was terrific throughout against Croatia. | Marvin Ibo Guengoer\/GES Sportfoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Marc Gu\u00e9hi, Nico O\u2019Reilly; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Noni Madueke, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon; Harry Kane.<\/p>\n Substitutes: Dean Henderson (GK), James Trafford (GK), Trevoh Chalobah, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Eberechi Eze, Ivan Toney, Djed Spence, Reece James.<\/p>\n Once again, Tuchel has turned to Saka\u2019s Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke in the absence of his first-choice right winger. While the Gunners backup offers more direct dynamism than his compatriot, end product has been painfully lacking. Madueke is yet to register a goal or an assist this summer and has forced just one save from an opposition goalkeeper.<\/p>\n Thomas Tuchel Tackles Erling Haaland With Familiarity Erling Haaland sent Norway through to the World Cup quarterfinals. | Erick W. Rasco\/Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t avoid focusing [on him], for sure not,\u201d Tuchel conceded when fretting over the inevitable topic of how to stop Erling Haaland<\/a>. \u201cThere is so much quality in his moments and you have to make decisions. He will always arrive on the second post so the question is when to make contact with him.<\/p>\n \u201cSome defenders like to stay zonal and get the earlier jump. Some like to step back and start fighting with him on the ground, physically\u2014but then he pushes you aside and gets a free header. If you stay zonal he jumps over you. He has all the weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n It appears that Tuchel\u2019s quest for a solution\u2014if one does exist\u2014is to give that task to the players who know him best. Haaland\u2019s Manchester City<\/a> teammates John Stones and Marc Gu\u00e9hi find themselves lining up directly against the Nordic goal-gobbler on Saturday, while fellow clubmate Nico O\u2019Reilly is at left back for good measure.<\/p>\n This school of thought is not universally shared. Former Manchester United striker and BBC pundit Wayne Rooney argued that it would be \u201charder\u201d for Haaland\u2019s teammates to deal with him. \u201cThere\u2019s a reason why boxers, when they train for a fight, they spar fighters who aren\u2019t as good as them because there\u2019s a risk of getting hurt.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re coming up against a forward like that in training, in your memory he\u2019s scoring a lot of goals in training, that\u2019s not good. So, it\u2019s actually the forward who\u2019s got the advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Noni](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kvbqhbxs666w7t7y6z.jpg\" "\\"Noni")
<\/p>\n![\"Erling](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwt5wn7jjpzd3y1sd2.jpg\" "\\"Erling")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on Google