World Cup

[monks data]

Attendance: 41,064

World Cup | Group Stage

Jun 18, 2018 at 7pm UK

Tunisia
1-2
England

Sassi (35' pen.)

FT(HT: 1-1)

Kane (11', 90+1')

England midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 'Any World Cup game is tough'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 15 June 2018

Midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek says that every World Cup fixture is "tough" as England continue to prepare for their opener with Tunisia on Monday.

Midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has suggested that England will avoid any complacency in their World Cup opener with Tunisia.

England and Belgium are clear favourites to progress into the knockout stages from Group G, with the two European nations doing battle in the final fixture of the group.

However, Loftus-Cheek has said that the Three Lions must be ready to face a motivated Tunisian side in Volgograd on Monday evening.

At a press conference, the 22-year-old told reporters: "Any game in the World Cup is a tough game. The atmosphere brings a lot out of both teams so we're ready for a tough game and an aggressive start from them so we just need to be ready.

"I think the pressures of playing at a World Cup, the pinnacle of football, I imagine it can get to some players, but I feel with this group everything is relaxed, confident, everyone looks ready. We're training well, we're ready, so I'm personally really confident about the team and this World Cup."

A report has claimed that Loftus-Cheek will begin the encounter on the bench.