Ezri Konsa has stated there will be 'no friends' when England take on Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night, even though he shares a club dressing room at Aston Villa with Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Konsa respects Martinez but focused on England
Konsa, who has played alongside Martinez at Villa Park since the Argentine's arrival in 2020, praised his teammate's qualities but made clear the match takes precedence. '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. 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 path to the semi-final
England have reached the last four after edging past DR Congo, Mexico, and Norway in the knockout stages. Argentina, meanwhile, have narrowly beaten Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland. The winner in Atlanta will face Spain in the World Cup final.
Konsa, 28, has started all six of England's matches so far, featuring at both centre-back and right-back. He may be deployed at right-back again, with Reece James also available after returning from injury in the quarter-final against Norway. 'It's a position that I'm very familiar with,' Konsa 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.'
Familiar foes in the Argentina squad
Several England players face club teammates in the Argentina side. Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez play in the Premier League, while Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez also feature for top-flight clubs. Konsa admitted England had not yet analysed Argentina's games but would do so before kick-off. '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.'
Team news for England
Manager 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. The match promises to be a tense affair, with both sides having been pushed hard in the knockout phase despite being favourites.
