World Cup:$236m race for English wonderkid but star duo in doubt for France quarter-final

Premier League side Newcastle is dealing with a huge number of loan offers after the world watched Australia’s Garang Kuol nearly stun Argentina in the round of 16.World Cup:$236m race for English wonderkid but star duo in doubt for France quarter-final

Kuol, 18, became the youngest player to play in the knockout stages of the World Cup finals since Pele in 1958.

A remarkable save by the Argentine goalkeeper in the final moments kept Kuol from becoming the hero who forced extra time, but his performances as a substitute still caught the eyes of many.

The Telegraph reports Newcastle “believe they have found one of the outstanding young talents in world football before his ability was known to the wider market”.

Kuol is expected to head to the UK once the January transfer window opens, but the plan has always been to send him out on loan before bringing him into the Newcastle side.

Currently Kuol could not play in the UK anyway due to work permit restrictions, with The Telegraph reporting a club in Portugal or Germany is his most likely destination.

He could then be loaned out to a Championship side in the 2023-24 season.

DOUBTS CAST OVER AVAILABILITY OF ENGLAND DUO AHEAD OF FRANCE BLOCKBUSTER

England midfielder Declan Rice missed training ahead of Sunday’s (AEDT) World Cup quarter-final with France due to an unspecified illness.

Rice did not take part in the session at the Al Wakrah on Wednesday although it was not clear how serious his illness is.

Rice, the West Ham United midfielder, has started in all four of England’s matches in Qatar and is a key component of Gareth Southgate’s midfield.

Playing in the defensive holding role, Rice has formed an excellent understanding with 19-year-old Jude Bellingham with the pair particularly effective in the 3-0 round-of-16 win over Senegal.

The most obvious replacement for Rice, in the event that he were to miss the France game, would be Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips was a central part of England’s run to the Euro 2020 final last year but following a move to Manchester City, injuries have limited his minutes and he only returned to action just before the tournament.

Southgate was also without back-up striker Callum Wilson who continues to deal with a minor strain suffered at the Al Wakrah training base.

A report by GiveMe Sport claims that England boss Gareth Southgate would be making a “very risky” decision if he opts to include Newcastle United star Wilson in his plans for the remainder of the World Cup, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The £20m ($36.3m AUD) man has made an impact in Qatar, grabbing an assist and averaging 1.5 key passes during two substitute appearances for the Three Lions.

However, Dinnery believes England chief Southgate is in danger of aggravating Wilson’s problem if he offers him game-time during the quarter-final clash with France on Sunday (AEDT).

Wilson, who only made the trip to the tournament after already missing nine matches at club level this season with the hamstring issues that also kept him on the sidelines for the first two group games, is at a high risk of re-injury due to high recurrence rates typically associated with injuries of this kind.