England got through a scoreless draw with Ghana on Tuesday, but the real concern was walking off the field with a noticeable limp. Declan Rice had strapping on his left calf after the full 90 minutes in Boston, and that sent social media into panic mode for a national team that needs him sharp with knockout games on the horizon.
His Arsenal teammate Eberechi Eze stepped up to the mic Thursday and tried to shut down the worry. Two days before England’s final Group L match against Panama — a win locks up top spot — Eze made it clear he’s not seeing a guy playing hurt.
“Dec wants to play every game,” Eze said. “He will do whatever he can to help the team. When you watch him play, I don’t see that he’s carrying anything. He’s enjoying himself, having fun. I’m sure he is OK.”
What’s actually going on with Rice
Rice has been transparent about dealing with what he called “neural pain” since around Christmas. But before the Ghana game he said physically he felt “very good.” He got subbed off in the second half against Croatia after feeling some pain in that 4-2 win. Then he played the full match against Ghana. That’s a mixed bag if you’re looking for a clean bill of health.
Thomas Tuchel pulled him at halftime of the Ghana match? No. Rice played the entire game. If the staff was truly worried, that wouldn’t have happened. Still, seeing your midfield engine rubbing his calf after a meaningless friendly is the kind of thing that makes fans hold their breath.
What this means for Panama
England needs a result Saturday to secure first place in the group. Panama isn’t a pushover but they’re not Croatia either. Tuchel has been experimenting with formations and Eze hinted that the manager has talked about using two No. 10s against teams that sit deep. Ghana packed the middle and Panama might try the same approach.
Eze came off the bench against Ghana and played alongside fellow substitute Morgan Rogers as a second playmaker. Jude Bellingham started and got subbed out. If Tuchel wants to flood the attacking midfield spots against Panama, there’s a path to doing that without overloading Rice.
“It’s something that the manager has spoken about before, so it’s definitely something that we’ve got,” Eze said of the two-No. 10 look.
Rice is going to play against Panama. The question is whether he plays 90 minutes or gets pulled early with the group stage wrapped up. England’s knockout path gets tougher if their best midfielder is managing a chronic issue instead of flying around the field like he usually does.
Leave a Comment