England’s next World Cup fixture against Norway could be hit by delays after thunderstorms have been forecast to hit the Miami area this weekend
Thunderstorms are forecast to rage during England and Norway’s Miami World Cup quarter-final fixture this Saturday.
Saturday’s match will see Miami hit by cloudy skies, heavy rain and even thunderstorms. Kick-off for the England v Norway game is scheduled for 10pm BST (5pm local time). The forecast has sparked fears the game could have a delayed kick-off time. This is due to Fifa rules stating occurrences of lightning within eight miles (13km) of the stadium will lead to temporary game suspensions.
The ruling has been enforced in order to protect players and fans during the World Cup fixtures. The development comes after England bested Mexico in a chaotic rollercoaster ride of a World Cup classic that ended 3-2 to the Three Lions.
The fixture was pushed back an hour due to thunderstorms and heavy rain hitting Mexico City at 1am.
The development comes as England star Jordan Henderson suffered a freak injury while celebrating the recent victory leading him to miss the rest of the World Cup. The veteran midfielder was left in considerable pain after he tripped over the advertising hoardings and landed awkwardly, with his right arm trapped beneath his body.
An update on his condition has now been provided, with Henderson remaining in Mexico City and it’s highly unlikely he’ll play again this summer, according to our football writer John Cross.
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, a stroke 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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