Deeney slams Madueke as England prepare for DR Congo

Madueke under fire ahead of DR Congo test

Troy Deeney has come for Noni Madueke, and he did not hold back. "If you watch that game, Madueke, when he first came on he kicked it past someone and kicked it out for a goal kick. Am I meant to get excited about that?" (10). The Arsenal winger has gone from fan protests over his signing to a World Cup starter, but his end product is now the talking point before Wednesday's last-32 tie against DR Congo in Atlanta.

Thomas Tuchel wants fluency from his attack. England beat Croatia in the opener, yet questions linger over consistency in the final third, and Madueke is the lightning rod.

Walker: Saka time has come

Kyle Walker believes Bukayo Saka is ready to grab this knockout stage. "I feel Bukayo Saka is going to come into it now," Walker said. "Against Panama those were his first proper minutes from the start, getting up to the rhythm of the game. He is an incredible player and in the last few seasons has been nothing short of brilliant despite his injuries" (12).

Saka has returned to normal training after managing an Achilles issue. Walker wants him to take games by the scruff of the neck the way Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane do. Jamie Carragher has urged caution, saying Saka should not be risked against Ghana, but the knockouts are a different equation.

Rice at right-back? Cascarino says yes

England's right-back options are thinning. Reece James and Jarell Quansah are both injury concerns, and Tony Cascarino has a radical fix: Declan Rice. "If I'm brutally honest, I would really think about playing Declan Rice there. I think he could do it. I've always said, Declan Rice can play centre-half, he can play midfield, and you could play him as a full-back" (9).

Rice has been nursing hamstring neural pain since Christmas and has played through it for club and country. Carragher says England cannot afford to rest him. Tuchel now has to decide whether to shift his midfield anchor into the back line.

Kane set to extend at Bayern despite Barcelona noise

Harry Kane is likely to sign a new deal at Bayern Munich, despite reported interest from Barcelona (3) (11). The England captain remains the best striker in the world in Michael Owen's eyes, though Owen also delivered a sharp critique of the Bayern move itself, calling it "too good for the Bundesliga" (7). Kane will have more pressing business first: leading England into the World Cup knockout rounds.

Pickford: ready to go to war

Jordan Pickford has set the tone. "You're ready to go to war," the England keeper said, summing up the belief in Tuchel's camp (2). England face Ghana in the group stage before the DR Congo test, with Antoine Semenyo leading the Ghana line seeking to avenge a 1–1 friendly draw. England's defence looked unconvincing against Croatia. Pickford's voice matters now.

Fan-reaktioner

England fans are watching the squad's depth closely. Morgan Rogers is reportedly valued at a British record £130m by Aston Villa, with Arsenal pushing hard and Chelsea circling (Reddit). All 15 Arsenal players at the World Cup have reached the last 32 safely, which has Gunners supporters tracking the knockout bracket obsessively (Reddit).