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England head coach Thomas Tuchel could be forced to manage without both Marc Guéhi and Declan Rice ahead of Saturday's World Cup quarterfinal clash with Norway.
According to BBC Sport, both players were absent from Thursday's training session, with Guéhi nursing a hamstring problem and Rice dealing with a stomach illness that had already kept him off the training pitch on Wednesday.
The situation is further complicated by Jarell Quansah receiving a two-match suspension following his red card in the round-of-16 win over Mexico, meaning the utility defender cannot return until the World Cup final — should England progress that far.
England's Options to Replace Guéhi
Having come on as a substitute in England's opening tournament match against Croatia, Guéhi has featured for every available minute since. However, that impressive run now looks seriously under threat.
Quansah would have been a natural replacement for Tuchel were it not for his ban, leaving the manager to explore other avenues. Fortunately, England's squad boasts considerable depth at center back, especially following Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah being drafted in as cover for the injured Tino Livramento before the tournament kicked off.
John Stones looks to be the most likely stand-in for Guéhi, having previously started alongside regular partner Ezri Konsa against Croatia. The imposing Dan Burn could also be in contention, with his physical presence potentially proving valuable when dealing with Erling Haaland.
Whether Konsa remains in a central position is another matter entirely. The Aston Villa man may be required on the right flank, where Quansah had been covering for Reece James after the Chelsea skipper sustained a hamstring problem. James returned to training on Thursday but is considered highly unlikely to feature significantly on Saturday.
Should Konsa be shifted to the right, Tuchel's choices in the center would be limited to Burn, Stones, and Chalobah.
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Rice's Illness Comes at Awful Time for England
A stomach bug appears to have swept through the Norway camp this week, and Rice now seems to have fallen victim to the same illness.
Rice has been in the starting lineup for four of England's five matches this summer, sitting out only the group stage fixture against Panama. Even if he recovers in time for the Norway quarterfinal, a starting berth seems unlikely given the number of days he has missed in training.
England's midfield options have already been thinned by Jordan Henderson's unfortunate wrist injury, leaving what appears to be just one viable partner for Elliot Anderson in the center of the park on Saturday.
Kobbie Mainoo has attracted criticism from many Manchester United supporters over his limited involvement this summer — the 21-year-old is yet to make an appearance off the bench — but a significant opportunity could be on the horizon if Rice is ruled out.
With no other natural holding midfielders available in the squad, Tuchel may need to think outside the box. James has operated in that deeper role at Chelsea, and Nico O'Reilly has filled it for Manchester City, though both players may be required in defensive positions instead.
Eberechi Eze has limited experience playing in a deeper midfield role at Arsenal, but any other solution would likely necessitate a tactical reshuffle, with Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers far better suited to an attacking position.