Some stats for Gareth Southgate to mull over before he names his starting XI against Senegal.

This was around an hour ago but BBC Sport's John Bennett was right in thick of a cracking atmosphere that the Ghana fans created outside the Al Janoub Stadium ahead of the game with Uruguay today.

Cast your mind back to a week ago and the headlines concerning England were far from positive in the aftermath of a dull 0-0 draw with the United States.

Jack Grealish admitted that he was annoyed by some of the coverage following the result.

"After one game I was reading stuff about how we were dismal. That can happen to anyone. I think we do deserve some credit as a team," he added

"We've got seven points, two clean sheets now, conceded only twice in three games and obviously scored nine goals."

If you haven't guessed, John Stones is running a bit late.

He's probably still playing darts against a member of the media.

Hopefully he'll be with us shortly.

Has Trent Alexander-Arnold been sent on a secret mission to recruit Jude Bellingham into the Liverpool side?

Fans picked apart every little detail of Alexander-Arnold's photo he posted with the 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder when the two went out for a stroll on Tuesday.

Click to see what 'Agent Trent' has to say below.

Image source, Getty Images

We don't have the services of Paul the Octopus, or that cute little otter in Japan, to help make predictions for Sunday's game but a big stat that could possibly nudge us in the direction as to who is going to win on Sunday is this:

• African nations have lost eight of their nine World Cup knockout round games against European sides, with the exception being Senegal's 2-1 win over Sweden in the round of 16 in 2002.
• However, in all competitions, England have never lost against an African side in their history (W14 D6).

Could Phil Foden play in the number 10 role against Senegal?

Should the Manchester City winger start there?

Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas debate.

We saw Jack Grealish's good heart during the group stages.

The 27-year-old scored in the 6-2 win over Iran, which gave him the chance to fulfil a promise to Finlay Fisher, a City-supporting schoolboy with cerebral palsy, and celebrate with a dance the pair had come up with.

"That's natural - I don't do that for any clout or whatever," said Grealish. "I do that because that's what I feel like I'm good at sometimes."

Image source, Getty Images

England forward Jack Grealish admits he has made mistakes in his career, but insists he has a "good heart" despite his skirmishes with controversy.

Grealish jokingly criticised Manchester City's team-mate Riyad Mahrez last summer, likening one of his displays to that of Newcastle's Miguel Almiron.

"I do stupid stuff, that was one," Grealish said of the incident.

Almiron later said Grealish was "a great player" and that he would happily shake hands with him.

"As long as I remember I have never really paid attention to what people say to me off the field," the Paraguayan said , externallast month.

Grealish, who reached out to apologise to Almiron after the video of his comments went viral, said he was grateful to be forgiven.

"I thought 'what a guy, man' because if that was me and somebody had said that about me, I'd have probably been the other way," said Grealish, adding he was "buzzing" at the Newcastle forward's good form in the Premier League this season.

"I've got a good heart, I think I have. Obviously I've done stupid stuff in my life but I think everything that I do good is from my heart."

Married couple Andy and Kirsty Payne have been speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, having just arrived in Qatar for their ninth World Cup.

"I'm here until our England team go home," said Andy, who is wearing a Japan shirt from the 2002 World Cup.

"The Japanese World Cup was the greatest World Cup ever. Funnily enough everyone said it was going to be rubbish. Those that went will never forget it: the welcome, the friendliness of the fans. The Japanese fans are a credit to the human race: their passion and also their dignity. Everything they do they do well, and they are so humble and kind."

Kirsty reflected on the atmosphere: "A lot of friends have said to us they have come out here and it is not the World Cup they expected. They were expecting it to be a bit more subdued. But actually, they've still got that festival vibe that you get at all World Cups."

Rick Edwards and Emma Saunders interviewed England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold at their World Cup camp in Qatar for BBC Radio 5 Live.

He had this to say when asked about how he was feeling ahead of Senegal on Sunday: "I think when you reach the knockout stages with only 16 teams still involved, you narrow it down to three or four teams who have a real chance of winning the tournament.

"Some teams are performing really well, others aren't performing as well as they would have wanted to, but once you are in the knockout stages anything can happen.

"You can train your way into the team. Obviously things can happen with fitness, so you have to be ready no matter what and that is the mentality of all the squad. Whether you are starting or not, you need to push yourself every day to get into that role.

"If it doesn't happen, like against Wales, then I'm ready to come on and try to perform for the team. I feel that I do deserve to start. All I can do is train and play as well as I can to try and earn that trust and get on the pitch."

Hear more from this interview on the World Cup Daily podcast.

Image source, Getty

Happy birthday to the 'Yorkshire Pirlo' Kalvin Phillips, who's celebrating turning 27 years old in the England camp today.

Image source, Getty Images

You're Gareth Southgate and England have made it through to the knockout stages of the World Cup and are facing Senegal in the last 16 - what is your starting line up?

Having made changes to his side for the final group game with Wales, he was rewarded with some fine individual displays, most notably from forwards Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden, who both scored in the 3-0 win.

Do Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka come back in? Is Foden an option in midfield? And has Kyle Walker done enough to justify your faith in defence?

Choose your England XI and share with your friends on #bbcfootball. We will reveal your final XI on Sunday morning.

Click here to make your selection

Senegal making it through to the knockout stages of the tournament means we get another glimpse of the amazing artwork that is the Senegalese fans in the stands.

Image source, PA Media

Danny Murphy
Former England midfielder

Image source, Getty Images

The one thing that this World Cup has taught me is that there is not one particular team that scares me. As an ex-player, I look at each team and think ‘weakness, weakness’ – even ourselves. We’ve got weaknesses.

There have been teams in the past where I’ve looked at them – you could even say the French team in 2018 - and you think, ‘how are they going to lose a game?’ Belgium played really well with Hazard at this best, De Bruyne at his best and they couldn’t break them down.

People are talking about Brazil in this tournament but they’ve only played two games, we’ll have to wait and see. But everyone else, France, Argentina… I did the France-Australia game and in 20 minutes they could have conceded two or three against an Australian side that wasn’t particularly gifted. Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia.

The draw with the United States aside, England have been ruthless when the shackles have come off and BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards feel there could be something special brewing in Qatar for Gareth Southgate's side.

England's quality means they should be feared by other nations at the World Cup, says midfielder Declan Rice.

The Three Lions are through to the last 16 in Qatar and face Senegal on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals and Rice believes England's "world-class talent" and the squad's trophy-winning experience with their clubs combine to make them formidable opposition.

"Other nations will look at our quality - and why should we not be feared?" said the West Ham United captain.

"If you look at our attacking talent, we have world-class talent. Across the board we have players who have won the biggest trophies.

"It is up to us to prove that. The likes of France have done that. We're not just here to get into the last 16, we want to go the whole way."

Sunday's match at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar will be the first time England and Senegal have faced each other, so how good are the African champions?

Senegal, who finished second in Group A, are ranked 18th in the world - the highest of any African nation - and won their first Africa Cup of Nations in 2021 after being beaten finalists in 2019 and 2002.

They reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2002 but did not qualify again until 2018, when they were knocked out in the group stage with one win in three matches.

They will be without several key players against England on Sunday, though, as Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye serves a one-match suspension and Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane was ruled out of the tournament because of injury.

Right, time for us to focus on England.

We're expecting to hear from England centre-back John Stones from around 13:30 GMT.

His focus will be on their last-16 tie against Senegal on Saturday.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer in Doha

Argentina appear to have been the neutrals' choice since day one here in Doha. They were the predominant colours on display even before thousands of their own fans arrived for the World Cup.

No change today as those wearing Argentina colours gathered around the Metro stations and surrounding areas even though they are not in action today.

Lionel Messi and his World Cup story has captured the imagination here in Qatar and the evidence suggests Argentina will gather even more local support now the hosts are out.