England’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday faces potential delays as severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast in Miami ahead of kick-off
England’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway could be affected by thunderstorms that are forecast in the Miami area. The Three Lions booked their place in the fixture after beating Mexico 3-2 in their last-16 tie on Sunday night.
Saturday’s match between England and Norway will see Miami engulfed by overcast skies, torrential rain and potentially violent thunderstorms. The fixture is due to kick off at 10pm BST (5pm local time).
The forecast has raised concerns that the match could face a delayed start. This stems from FIFA regulations stipulating that any lightning strikes within eight miles (13km) of the stadium will result in temporary stoppages.
The rule has been put in place to safeguard both players and spectators throughout the World Cup fixtures. This comes on the back of England’s dramatic victory over Mexico in a World Cup thriller saw the three Lions emerge victorious in Mexico City.
That fixture was delayed by an hour after thunderstorms and heavy rain lashed Mexico City at the scheduled kick-off time of 1am BST.
Adding to England’s concerns, midfielder Jordan Henderson suffered an unfortunate injury while celebrating the recent win, ruling him out of the remainder of the World Cup.
The Brentford star was left in significant discomfort after stumbling over the advertising hoardings and landing badly, with his arm trapped beneath him.
An update on his condition has since been confirmed, with Henderson remaining in Mexico City and looking highly unlikely to feature again this summer, according to Mirror Football writer John Cross.
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Speaking on the latest episode of Make Football Great Again, he said: “Well, it feels like it might be [his World Cup over], to be honest.
“I know it’s a sort of a wrist/arm injury which, you know, you probably get in plaster and what have you, but that early stage is going to be difficult for him and as the team travels back to their base in Kansas City, Jordan Henderson is staying behind in Mexico City to kind of have this set and repaired.
“It feels as if it’s probably going to be his World Cup over. What an absolute hammer blow, really, because he was put up in the press conference pre-match, Tuchel clearly thinks he’s, going to say the right thing and sort of motivate the troops.
“I just thought, wow, that’s so heartbreaking. He’s such a good character and person and leader. I think that that’s absolutely devastating for him.”
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