Declan Rice told Thomas Tuchel he was fine. Then he told the press the same thing. “Good as gold,” he said after coming off early against Croatia. But here’s the thing about back problems that have been nagging since the second half of Arsenal’s season: they don’t just disappear because a player says nice things.
Rice missed just 40 minutes of Premier League and Champions League action down the stretch, sure. But 26 of those came in a tight win over Chelsea when he asked out. That’s not nothing. And now England faces Ghana and Panama in group play before the knockout rounds start. Tuchel has decisions to make.
The safest route is rest Rice for those games. But the German coach already admitted he wouldn’t have subbed him against Croatia if he didn’t think something was off. So who steps in if Rice can’t go?
The Guys You Don’t Actually Want
Harry Kane in midfield? Some bloke at the pub thinks it’s a great idea. Kane is already everywhere on the pitch. Asking him to also chase ball carriers and make tackles is how you get a 33-year-old striker sent off by the 60th minute. Hard pass.
Eberechi Eze has played midfield in 90 of 275 senior club appearances. That stat sounds decent until you realize most of those came on loan at Ipswich and Huddersfield. He’s a creative spark but not a Rice replacement.
Kobbie Mainoo is beautiful to watch. Rice himself has apparently expressed skepticism about Mainoo’s work off the ball, and it’s hard to argue. Graceful doesn’t always mean gritty, and Tuchel’s midfield needs the gritty part.
The Veteran Gambles
Jordan Henderson is still out there. He played well enough at Brentford to keep his England spot, but his legs are 35 years old and have been through a Saudi detour. For Ghana and Panama he’d be fine. Against France or Brazil in a quarterfinal? You’re gambling.
John Stones in midfield used to make sense. The 2023 Champions League final version of Stones was basically perfect. Since then he’s started 23 Premier League games. Three years. That’s it. Asking him to play center back is already a stretch at this point. Midfield would be cruel.
The Real Options
Elliot Anderson might be the most interesting choice. Manchester United Twitter spent all week insisting Tuchel made a mistake picking him over Mainoo. Then Anderson played the second half against Croatia like he owned the place. Commanding. Assured. The kind of performance that makes you trust a 23-year-old in a World Cup knockout game.
Jude Bellingham dropping deeper is the obvious answer. It’s also the one that weakens England’s attack. He was excellent as a No. 10 against Croatia and noticeably less effective when he moved back after Rice left. Tuchel has resisted the temptation to just cram attackers into the lineup, which is probably smart.
Reece James is the wild card. Tuchel was skeptical about him playing as a No. 6 when Enzo Maresca tried it at Chelsea. Then James ran a game against Arsenal in November with Caicedo sent off and controlled the midfield anyway. The German coach has since changed his tune, calling James “a candidate to play there.” He went with James over Mainoo and Henderson when Rice went down against Croatia. That tells you something.
The problem is Djed Spence. He came in for James at right back and looked outstanding. If James moves to midfield, Spence becomes the starting right back. That might work. Or it might force Dan Burn into fullback duty, which should scare anyone who watched him try to cover wingers this season.
James is probably the closest thing to Rice in this squad. Ball-winning, physical, comfortable under pressure. But he’s also been injury-prone and inconsistent. Tuchel called him a “full package” after the Croatia win. We’ll see if that package holds up when the games actually matter.
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