England midfielder Henderson undergoes surgery on forearm after fall during World Cup celebrations

The 36-year-old addressed his supporters on Instagram. "Jetzt bereiten wir uns auf den großen Samstag vor," he wrote alongside a photo, thanking the doctors at the hospital. The English Football Association initially did not comment in detail on the duration and consequences of the injury.

Quarter-final against Norway

Meanwhile, the team coached by Thomas Tuchel is preparing for the World Cup quarter-final. The Three Lions will face Norway on Saturday (23:00/MagentaTV) in Miami. This brings not only the sporting question but also the personnel question to the forefront of whether Henderson will be fit to play again in time.

From the England camp, it was said they wanted to wait and see how things developed in the coming days. "Mal schauen, was sich jetzt die nächsten ein, zwei Tage ergibt," it was said in statements ahead of the quarter-final. A more detailed diagnosis was not initially released.

Royal support is missing

Prince William, president of the English Football Association FA, will not be at the English side's side for the quarter-final in the USA. As the Deutsche Presse-Agentur learned from palace circles, the heir to the throne is not traveling to the USA for the clash on Saturday (23:00).

The World Cup is being held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The ball will roll for 38 days, and for the first time there are twelve preliminary round groups with 48 teams. The schedule now takes the English team to Miami, where they will play Norway on Saturday evening.

Injury concerns for other teams

Injuries are also occupying World Cup participants beyond the England camp. Morocco is expected to be able to call on attacking player Ismael Saibari for the quarter-final, who is hoping to feature after a slight muscle strain. The Bayern Munich new signing had been substituted after 22 minutes in the 3-0 win over Canada.

For Switzerland, who prevailed in a penalty shootout thriller against Colombia, the personnel situation remains tense. National team coach Murat Yakin is likely to have to do without young star Johan Manzambi in the quarter-final against defending champions Argentina. What exactly the 20-year-old from SC Freiburg's injury is could not be clearly seen, Yakin said.

Manuel Akanji breathed a sigh of relief after the Swiss victory. The former BVB professional, now at Inter Milan, had previously missed from the spot in penalty shootouts at past European Championships. "Ich habe Muri gesagt, dass das der letzte Elfmeter war, den ich geschossen habe," he explained afterwards.

France, meanwhile, is looking ahead to its own quarter-final against Morocco. Coach Didier Deschamps said they had received a corresponding notification from FIFA in the morning. Backup goalkeeper Robin Risser appeared relaxed: "Wir dürfen nicht paranoid werden."

Referee discussion in France

The matter of the referee is providing talking points. The fact that an Argentine referee will officiate France's World Cup quarter-final is being viewed calmly in Didier Deschamps' camp. "Wenn diese Schiedsrichter dabei sind, dann weil sie dem Niveau des Wettbewerbs gewachsen sind," it was said. Conversely, the Frenchman François Letexier had officiated the round-of-16 match between Argentina and Egypt.

France can only meet Argentina in the final or the third-place match. In 2022, Argentina won the World Cup final against Les Bleus in a penalty shootout; four years earlier, France had knocked out the South Americans 4-3 in the round of 16. The quarter-final against Argentina takes place on Sunday (3:00) in Kansas City.

Politically, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is generating discussion. MEPs around Niels Fuglsang are demanding an investigation in a letter signed by 72 parliamentarians. "Fußball sollte Menschen zusammenbringen und nicht als eine Plattform für politische Begünstigung dienen," it says. In addition, Folarin Balogun was eligible to play again despite a red card.

Political debate over Infantino

In Argentina itself, there were spontaneous celebrations following the dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt, during which one man lost his life. "Er hat zum Glück keine Schmerzen," local media quoted. Police arrested 19 people in the area of the Obelisk.

DFB sporting director Rudi Völler meanwhile spoke about the future of German football. He would like to see several 2014 world champions in decisive roles at the DFB. Thomas Müller sees great chances in a potential appointment of Jürgen Klopp. "Worum es mir geht, ist, dass wir Strukturen aufbauen," Müller said.

Jürgen Klopp himself has not yet publicly commented on a possible role. Matthäus is meanwhile calling for patience: "Ich hoffe, dass sie ihm beim DFB alle Zeit und alle Befugnisse geben, die er für echte Verbesserungen braucht."