Arsenal have received welcome news over Declan Rice’s fitness after the midfielder recovered from illness to start England’s World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina.
Rice had been a doubt for Wednesday’s match after struggling with a stomach problem during England’s quarter-final victory over Norway.
The 27-year-old spent several days in bed before that match and was withdrawn at half-time as Thomas Tuchel managed his condition.
However, Rice returned to full training before the semi-final and was cleared to start alongside Elliot Anderson in Atlanta.
A football.london injury update confirmed Rice was available after overcoming the illness which had disrupted his preparations.
He played 82 minutes as England suffered a late 2-1 defeat, with Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez overturning Anthony Gordon’s opening goal.
Arsenal must carefully manage Rice
Rice’s return eased immediate fears, but Arsenal will still need to monitor his condition before the new season.
The midfielder has previously revealed that he managed neural pain in his hamstring and lower back during the second half of Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.
He also played 55 times for Mikel Arteta’s side across all competitions before becoming a regular throughout England’s World Cup run.
As Read Arsenal reported before the Argentina match, Rice completed training without difficulty and was declared fit to start.
England still have Saturday’s third-place play-off against France, although Tuchel may choose to rest players who have carried fitness concerns.
Rice will then receive a post-tournament break before returning to Arsenal.
There is no indication that he suffered a fresh injury against Argentina. The main challenge for Arteta will be giving one of his most important players enough recovery time before the Premier League season begins.
