Scaloni unfazed by fatigue ahead of England semi-final

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni says concerns over fatigue will not distract his team as the defending champions prepare for a high-stakes World Cup semi-final against England on Wednesday.

Speaking ahead of the clash in Atlanta, Scaloni said Argentina remain fully focused on reaching a second consecutive World Cup final and praised his players for guiding the team back to the last four.

"We are in good shape and can‍‍`t wait for the match. This is a World Cup semi-final, and our hopes remain alive. We are very grateful to these players for taking us this far again," he told reporters.

Argentina‍‍`s route to the semi-finals has been demanding. The holders needed extra time to edge Cape Verde 3-2 before staging a late comeback to defeat Egypt by the same score. They then required another 30 minutes of extra time to beat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

Despite the physically draining schedule, Scaloni insisted he has no concerns about his squad‍‍`s condition.

"If someone had offered me a place in the semi-finals a month and a half ago, I would have accepted immediately. I don‍‍`t care how we got here," he said.

"I have nothing to reproach my players for. Whether we are tired or not doesn‍‍`t matter. This is a World Cup semi-final."

The meeting will renew one of football‍‍`s most famous rivalries, with memories of Argentina‍‍`s 1986 quarter-final victory—when Diego Maradona scored both the controversial "Hand of God" goal and one of the greatest goals in World Cup history—still fresh in football folklore.

Scaloni said Maradona‍‍`s brilliant solo effort remains one of the game‍‍`s most iconic moments.

"Everyone remembers that match, especially Diego‍‍`s second goal. It was a wonderful goal that every football fan remembers, and it happened to be against England," he said.

The Argentina coach also sought to separate football from politics, despite the long-standing dispute between the two countries over the Falkland Islands.

"This is simply a football match. I don‍‍`t want to mix it with events from the past. That was a sad period in our history, but this is about football," Scaloni said.

Looking ahead to England, Scaloni acknowledged the threat posed by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have been central to England‍‍`s attack throughout the tournament.

"They are among the best players in the world. We are studying how to limit their influence, and we may make changes, although it‍‍`s also possible we keep the same lineup," he added.