Stones warns England know Haaland's game ahead of World Cup quarter-final with Norway

John Stones has said England know exactly what Erling Haaland brings to Norway as Thomas Tuchel’s side prepare for their World Cup quarter-final in Miami on Saturday, with the defender drawing on a decade of training alongside the striker at Manchester City.

England earned the tie with a 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday, a result that was sealed while playing with ten men for a significant portion of the match after Jarell Quansah’s red card. Norway, meanwhile, booked their place in the last eight with a late Haaland brace that stunned Brazil in New Jersey earlier the same day.

“It’s another incredible player, and we’ve got huge respect for Norway as a team,” Stones said after the Mexico win. “They knocked Brazil out today, which speaks for itself, and we’ll treat them with the same respect we show every opponent. We know what they’ve got, especially with Erling. We’ve put in some great defensive performances so far, and we’ll pick things up over the next few days. Tonight is about enjoying a special win.”

The quarter-final carries an unusual personal dimension. Stones, who left City this summer after ten years, will potentially line up against Haaland alongside Marc Guehi, another of the striker’s club teammates. Stones entered Sunday’s game as a second-half substitute when England switched to a back five, with Dan Burn and Djed Spence also introduced as defensive reinforcements.

Despite the pressure of finishing the match a man down, Stones believes the experience will prove valuable as the tournament progresses. “We’ve been through that experience now and come out the right side of it,” he said. “Knowing we can defend like that if we have to is really encouraging and it gives us confidence going into the next round.”

He was equally emphatic about the collective defensive effort. “The guys at the back have performed at such a high level throughout the tournament. We push each other every day in training, and whoever has played has done so well. That should give us great confidence. Ten men down for so long, soaking up pressure and grinding it out — it was really pleasing. The blocks, the saves, those are small wins for defenders, but they create a real winning mentality.”

The quarter-final will be England’s first meeting with Norway since a Wayne Rooney penalty secured a 1-0 friendly win at Wembley in September 2014. England are chasing only their fourth-ever World Cup semi-final appearance, while Norway are looking to reach the final four for the first time in their history. Stones has started just once in the tournament, against Croatia in the opening group game, with Guehi preferred by Tuchel since.