Declan Rice reveals ‘strange’ hamstring issue he is managing at the World Cup
The Arsenal midfielder is set to start against DR Congo but admits he is dealing with an unusual neural pain that can strike at any time.
Declan Rice is expected to return to the England starting lineup for the World Cup clash with DR Congo on Wednesday. The midfielder has been managing a persistent fitness problem that he describes as a ‘strange’ condition.
Rice started the thrilling win over Croatia and the goalless draw with Ghana, but was rested for the 2-0 victory against Panama in the final group stage game. The 27-year-old played 55 matches for Arsenal last season and arrived at the tournament not in peak condition after a gruelling campaign.
He is fit enough to feature, but continues to experience neural hamstring pain. ‘You could be sat at home and you’d feel a little pain shoot up your leg,’ he said. ‘It’s just something that is obviously a bit unusual for me because I’ve never had anything like that before. It’s strange because you can just feel it like sitting there. It’s something I’ve just managed.’
There was additional concern after the Ghana match when Rice was seen limping and wearing strapping around his calf. He explained that a knock late in that game caused the issue. ‘I got a dead calf in the last minute of the Ghana game. The guy whacked me and it literally blew up for like three days, so that was just unlucky. It wasn’t actually a calf problem. I’m managing myself really well. I feel good, fit and strong.’
Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, confirmed Rice would start against DR Congo. ‘He’s fit to start. Yeah, of course. We always miss Declan. He is one of the best midfielders in connecting the deeper positions with the higher positions. He is a key player and super important.’
Rice is eager to earn his 76th cap but is comfortable sitting out when it benefits the squad. ‘We have a squad of 26 who are unbelievable and can play. Kobbie can play, Jordan can play. Morgan came in and Jude played as the No8. If it means that sometimes I have to miss out because we have other players who can play against a certain opposition, I’m fine with that, as long as we keep going and winning matches.’
The decision to miss the Panama game made sense not only because of his fitness concerns, but also because he was on a yellow card after the Ghana match and would have been suspended had he collected another booking.