Mexico v England LIVE: Team news as lightning threatens delay to World Cup last-16 kick-off – UK Times

“I would find it disruptive as a player,” Neville told ITV Sport. “Conditions are huge for England, playing at 12pm in Mexico vs playing at 6pm, it’s very different, for our players, it’s worse, let’s be clear.

“It’s a sporting disadvantage to England, there’s a sporting integrity issue here. I’ve never seen a League Two game moved back, Fifa are just willy nilly making it up and moving a game, it feels strange.

“You can put fan safety at the heart of it, this is a stadium that has had this type of conditions before, they have a procedure to deal with it.

“I was there when my brother was managing Inter Miami. It can be disrupted for an hour, they go underneath, they get shelter. To move a game two days out, I’ve never seen that at any level of football ever.”

England have overcome several World Cup obstacles already this summer – yet Thomas Tuchel is fully aware of the seismic challenge that awaits at the cauldron that is the Azteca Stadium in the last-16.

The co-hosts have been whipped up into a piping-hot frenzy over the last three weeks, unleashed most impressively in their last-32 victory against Ecuador. Following a weather delay, the rampant Julian Quinonez and Raul Jimenez landed a pair of haymakers to leave their South American opponents dazed.

Yet England’s most daunting task on Sunday night could well be the conditions, with altitude set to be a great leveller with Mexico City’s iconic Azteca situated 7,220ft (2,240m) above sea level.

England’s injury concerns at right-back looked like they were lightening with Jarell Quansah back fit and Reece James creeping towards the matchday squad – now, they’re mounting once again.

Djed Spence is a doubt due to a muscle niggle and the strain at right-back could potentially see change formation – maybe a three at the back?

More than 100 riot police in bullet-proof vests are guarding the hotel where the England team are staying after they received a hostile reception upon their arrival with crowds booing and jeering.

It came like a bolt from the blue, so much so that many Team USA players and staff were completely unaware of the pack of cards being shuffled behind closed doors on Sunday morning.

The extraordinary decision by Fifa to “suspend” Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban for his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina means the United States will have their star striker available for the last-16 tie against Belgium, who maintain they are “astonished” at the decision. Just thirty-two hours before kick-off in Seattle, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been handed a massive boost to his hopes of a quarter-final spot.

It is extraordinary because the case seemed closed: Fifa confirmed after the Bosnia match that, rightly or wrongly, there were no grounds for the US to appeal the decision or the sanction. However, the first indications that wheels were perhaps in motion higher up the food chain came on Friday.

Tonight’s other round of 16 clash is just about to get underway as Brazil take on Norway in New Jersey – and it could have England ramifications.

If England beat Mexico later on, they will face the winner here.

Alan Smith is bringing you all the action in that one before taking charge of this match in a few hours – tune into our live blog below:

Harry Kane has his work cut out to keep up with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi in the scoring charts – but another high-scoring display tonight will propel him right into the leading pack.

Here are the standings as they are:

1. Kylian Mbappe (France), 7 goals, (2 assists)

2. Lionel Messi (Argentina), 7 goals

= 3. Erling Haaland (Norway), 5 goals

= 3. Harry Kane (England), 5 goals

5. Ousmane Dembele (France), 4 goals (2 assists)

= 6. Vinicius Jr (Brazil), 4 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), 4 goals (1 assist)

= 6. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), 4 goals (1 assist)

Speaking of officials, England will be hoping tonight’s referees don’t deliver the disasterclass seen in France’s win over a Paraguay team intent on deploying underhanded tactics yesterday.

Richard Jolly delved into the dirt:

Referee: Alireza Faghani (Australia)

Assistant Referees: George Lakrindis and Andrew Lindsay (both Australia)

Fourth official: Jalal Jayed (Morocco)

Reserve Assistant Referee: Zakaria Brinsi (Morocco)

Video Assistant Referee: Nicolas Gallo (Colombia)

Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1: Juan Lara (Chile)

Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2: Juan Soto (Venezuela)

Much has been made of the co-hosts’ home record, but is it as fearsome as it seems? Chris Wilson has the answer: