Arsenal fans will be waiting with bated breath as to whether Declan Rice is involved in England’s next game
Arsenal will already be sweating over the health of their most critical players over the course of the World Cup. The tournament has already thrown up some nasty injuries, particularly that of Canada’s Ismael Kone, who broke his leg after a tackle from Qatar’s Assim Madibo, and has since been handed a five-match ban by FIFA.
William Saliba and Bukayo Saka went to the tournament with known issues, but have since played despite the latter only being used as a substitute so far. The Frenchman is rumoured to be suffering with a back issue that some have suggested could require a procedure after the tournament to fix, but so far there has been no official comment on the matter from club, player or country.
Declan Rice, however, has been the player most in focus. Speaking to ITV, he revealed before the draw with Ghana, and following his substitution late against Croatia, that he had been carrying a problem throughout Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.
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“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff, but it was a smart decision.
“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70‑minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”
However, he suffered a kick in the end of the game with Ghana and was spotted walking through the mixed zone with strapping and a suggestion of a limp. England know a win over Panama will see them progress as group winners.
The question is now whether Thomas Tuchel will still start Rice in the final game despite the ongoing fitness concerns. The German has other options available to him to partner Elliot Anderson and Jude Bellingham in midfield.
Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers could all feature. But there are fears that Rice will start yet again, leaving Arsenal and particularly manager Mikel Arteta sweating over what it means for Rice’s summer recovery.
