World Cup 2018: England stars look fresh and ready to cause a splash in Russia… starting against Colombia
Gareth Southgate's men are knuckling down in the gym ahead of the last 16 showdown with South Americans
ENGLAND’S players were back in the gym this morning at their Repino base today and tomorrow they will return to the training pitch.
The mood will not have been affected by last night’s 1-0 defeat to Belgium and they should all be feeling fresh with no signs of fatigue.
Only two of the likely starters against Colombia - Jordan Pickford and John Stones - played against the Belgians and it will have been stressed to them that the match should now be seen as irrelevant.
I understand the need for momentum and the fact Gareth Southgate has put himself in a position to be shot at following his eight changes from the 6-1 win over Panama.
Ultimately, England’s players should be in perfect shape for Tuesday’s game with Colombia in Moscow, whereas the South Americans toiled in the heat against Senegal in Samara yesterday.
While star man James Rodriguez suffered an injury which puts his place in doubt, Harry Kane relaxed from the sidelines in Kaliningrad knowing he still goes into the knockout stages as leading goalscorer.
If the Three Lions stutter against Colombia - and it will be tough against a similar-ranked team - then Southgate will be seen as wrong for putting out a different side against Belgium.
We should all expect a high-energy, vibrant performance from England and there is every reason Dele Alli could return to the side.
My only worry is Pickford.
He remains inexperienced and not only could have done better for Adnan Januzaj’s winner, he was exceptionally lucky to be saved by Gary Cahill who delivered a terrific clearance off the line in the first half.
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Otherwise, Pickford’s error would have been seen as the goalkeeping cock-up of the World Cup.
While it will be warmer in Moscow than Repino, it will be nothing like the increase in conditions had they been travelling to Rostov for a meeting with Japan on Monday.
As a result, despite that forgettable game against Belgium, luck seems to be on Southgate’s side, particularly as England have now avoided Brazil as potential quarter-final opponents.
