Declan Rice has revealed he has been managing hamstring nerve pain for six months, but the Arsenal midfielder insists he is fit for England’s World Cup clash with Ghana.
Rice was substituted during England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, raising immediate concern for both Thomas Tuchel and Arsenal supporters. The 27-year-old has now explained that the issue has been present since Christmas, rather than being a fresh injury picked up in the tournament opener.
The midfielder said he had felt “neural pain” in his hamstring and described the decision to come off against Croatia as a sensible protective call, according to The Guardian’s report on Rice’s fitness update.
Rice fitness update matters for Arsenal as well as England
Rice’s availability is significant because England face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, June 23, while Arsenal will also be monitoring one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players after a heavy club-and-country workload.
The Arsenal midfielder has already played 63 matches this season and could add several more if England go deep into the World Cup. Rice has nevertheless made clear he is “fit and raring to go”, easing fears that the problem could force him out of Tuchel’s starting plans.
For Arsenal, the key point is that Rice has not described this as a new setback. The concern is workload management rather than an immediate absence, but his admission still underlines why the club will want him carefully handled through the rest of the tournament.
