BRING ON THE COLOMBIANS!

GOING by past form, you would think England would be happy to meet their next opponents.

They have never lost to Colombia, with three wins and two draws since their first meeting in 1970.

Currently ranked 16th in the world – Colombia are three places below England. However, they reached the World Cup quarter finals four years ago, eventually losing 2-1 to hosts Brazil. And although they lost their opening game in Russia 2-1 to Japan, the South Americans – with star player James Rodriguez – bounced back with a 3-0 win over Poland before beating Senegal 1-0 yesterday.

ENGLAND midfielder Fabian Delph has been given permission to fly home from the World Cup to be at the birth of his third child, due tomorrow. If the 28-year-old Bradford-born player does jet to the UK to be with wife Natalie, he could still be back in Russia in time for England’s Colombia match. He said manager Gareth Southgate had been ‘fantastic’ in letting him go, adding: ‘There’s nothing more important than family to me.’ PREMIER League referee Martin Atkinson arrived in Kaliningrad on his bike yesterday – after riding 1,700 miles from the FA’s St George’s Park training base.

He left Staffordshire on June 11, averaged a very respectable 90 miles a day, and made £60,000 for a string of charities.

‘I’d like to say I enjoyed it, but I might be lying,’ said the weary 47-year-old after crossing western Europe.