English referee Michael Oliver returns to World Cup action after injury
English referee Michael Oliver will return to officiate at the World Cup this weekend after recovering from an injury that forced him to miss his opening fixture.
The Premier League official was originally scheduled to oversee the group stage match between Ecuador and the Ivory Coast on Monday morning.
However, a minor physical issue meant he was replaced by French counterpart Francois Letexier for that initial clash.
FIFA has now confirmed the experienced referee is fully fit and available for selection again.
Return against the Netherlands
He has been officially appointed to take charge of the Group F encounter between the Netherlands and Sweden on Saturday evening.
The Northumberland-born official will be joined by familiar faces on the touchline, with fellow Englishmen Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring acting as his assistants.
South African duo Abongile Tom and Zakhele Siwela have been designated as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively.
Previous tournament experience
This current assignment adds to an impressive international portfolio for the highly regarded match official.
He previously officiated at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where his matches included a tense quarter-final between Croatia and Brazil.
Domestic fans will also be closely monitoring his fitness ahead of his eventual return to top-flight English football duties.
