Declan Rice has been a mainstay of Thomas Tuchel’s England lineups since the German took charge almost two years ago.
The Arsenal midfielder has been lauded for his longevity, therefore it was concerning for England fans to see the 27-year-old limping in Boston, with strapping on his left leg following the 0-0 draw with Ghana.
Rice was not named in England‘s starting XI against Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, leading to speculation that the injury he suffered in England’s last game was more serious than initially feared.
Is Declan Rice injured?
During England’s pre-match press conference, Tuchel did his best to allay any fears over Rice’s fitness.
“[Elliot] Anderson and Rice were training today [Thursday],” the manager said. “They had minor issues after the match but they had enough time to recover.
“So everyone except for Reece James is available, and we will take the decision [on who starts the game] tomorrow.”
Jarell Quansah replaces James at right-back, while Anderson starts as the sole holding midfielder in Tuchel’s XI.
Jude Bellingham is expected to play slightly deeper in order to facilitate the inclusion of Morgan Rogers at No. 10.
In FourFourTwo‘s opinion, it is very possible Tuchel has assessed the threat Panama pose and decided that risking a not fully fit Rice, who may aggravate his existing issue, would not be wise.
England should have enough strength in depth to defeat a Panama side who have lost both of their previous Group L matches to Croatia and Ghana.