Ezri Konsa has declared there will be 'no friends' when England face Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, even against his Aston Villa teammate Emiliano Martinez. The winner in Atlanta will meet Spain in the final, with both teams having navigated tough knockout paths.
Konsa praises Martinez but warns of battle
Konsa, who has played alongside Martinez at Villa Park since 2020, spoke highly of the Argentine goalkeeper. 'He is a fantastic keeper, great keeper. I have played alongside him for many years, his mentality and the way he wants to win, I have learned some things from him from my time at Villa, so it will be nice to see him tomorrow,' Konsa said. 'Everyone knows Emi Martinez, we know what he's about and know what he can do so we will be ready.'
However, the England defender made it clear that club friendships will be set aside. 'I haven't had the chance to speak to him, I'm sure when I see him tomorrow it will be nice to see him again after a long time. Once we get on that pitch, there's no friends.'
England's preparation and Konsa's role
Surprisingly, Konsa admitted the England squad had not yet watched any footage of Argentina's matches ahead of the semi-final. 'We haven't managed to watch any of their games,' he said. 'I'm sure, when we have the meeting tonight or tomorrow, we'll see some clips of them and see what we can do to overcome them. I'm sure they've got a great mindset, great mentality, and so do we.'
The 28-year-old has started all six of England's World Cup matches so far, featuring at both centre-back and right-back. He may be deployed at right-back again on Wednesday and is comfortable with the role. 'It's a position that I'm very familiar with,' he said. 'I've always said wherever the manager wants me to be, I'll always do my best and I feel comfortable there whether it's centre back or right back. So we'll have to wait and see tomorrow if I'm doing the same role.'
Team news and familiar foes
Reece James returned from injury as a substitute in the quarter-final against Norway and could start at right-back, which would see him face Chelsea teammate Enzo Fernandez. Thomas Tuchel is believed to have a fully fit squad to choose from, except for Jordan Henderson, who suffered a broken arm celebrating the last-16 win over Mexico.
England edged past DR Congo, Mexico, and Norway in the knockout stages, while Argentina narrowly beat Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland. The match promises to be tightly contested, with several Premier League stars on both sides, including Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, and Alexis Mac Allister for Argentina.
