The win over Croatia came with a price tag England wasn’t expecting to pay. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Marcus Rashford are all dealing with various injuries ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup group-stage matchup against Ghana in Boston.
Rice was the first to go down. He grabbed at his right leg in the second half against Croatia and was pulled by Thomas Tuchel before anything could get worse. The manager admitted it wasn’t a move he wanted to make but said the risk wasn’t worth it.
“Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort,” Tuchel said. “He pointed directly to his lower back, upper hamstring. I didn’t want to take any risk. It was the moment to protect him.”
Tuchel added that Rice reassured him afterward that the discomfort wasn’t new. “He just said, ‘It’s good, and I know the discomfort.’ We will take care of it, and this is nothing big to worry about.”
Saka’s situation is a bit different. He’s been managing a long-standing Achilles issue, and the coaching staff is being cautious. Tuchel said Saka is unlikely to start against Ghana, with Noni Madueke expected to keep his spot on the right wing. “Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready,” Tuchel said. “Once we get to the last game in the group it is the moment.”
Rashford scored but then complained of muscle tightness after the match. He’s being monitored by the medical staff. Harry Kane also showed up to training with strapping after dealing with late-game cramp, but that seems less concerning for now.
The timing is tricky because Ghana is a real test. Not a gimme. England has already lost Tino Livramento to a calf strain — he was replaced by Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah — so they can’t afford another setback in a group that suddenly looks a little less forgiving.
England will train in Kansas City this weekend before flying to Boston. Tuchel used Morgan Rogers to replace Rice against Croatia, shifting Jude Bellingham deeper and then moving Reece James into midfield. That flexibility might matter if any of these injuries turn into absences.
For now, the medical staff has a few days to figure out who’s actually available. And the rest of us get to wait and see.
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