Thomas Tuchel isn’t dancing around the Declan Rice injury question. The England manager flatly stated Thursday that his star midfielder is not hurt, just dealing with some nerve pain in his back that flared up during the win over Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rice had to come off late in that match after logging heavy minutes all season — well over 4,000 of them. That kind of workload catches up with even the toughest players, and at 27, Rice has been carrying a ton for both Arsenal and England.
But here’s the thing about Rice: he almost never complains. So when he told Tuchel he was in serious pain, the manager paid attention.
“I asked him. He said: ‘I can do it for the team but I am in terrible pain’ and when Declan tells you he is in terrible pain then you know he cannot take it anymore,” Tuchel said. “He was grateful we took him off but he said after the game it’s not an issue. There is no injury, I think he will recover. He was just in pain and I hope he is right. It’s more nerve pain.”
Why Rice at Right-Back Might Happen Again
England’s right-back situation has been a mess all tournament. With no clear solution, Tuchel slid Rice into that spot for the final 12 minutes against Congo. It wasn’t pretty but it worked.
Rice admitted afterward it was probably the hardest part of the game for him. “It was probably the hardest 12 minutes of the game having a stint at right-back,” he said. “In games like that it was probably too much of a basketball match at times, back and forth, and we had to take the sting out of it because they have fast wingers. I think we made more hard work of it than we needed to.”
He’s done it before, about two or three times this season. It’s not his favorite role by a long shot. “I know the role, it is probably not my biggest strength, but to do anything for the team and the manager,” Rice said. “Twelve minutes left I said I would do my best and I think I did well there. Let’s see what happens next game, but hopefully I don’t have to be at right-back.”
What This Means for the Mexico Match
Sunday’s last-16 clash against Mexico at the Azteca is a huge test. England needs Rice in midfield to control the tempo. If he’s available but not 100%, Tuchel might have to get creative again.
Rice himself downplayed the injury scare. He said postgame the nerve pain isn’t anything structural, just something he can manage from game to game. That tracks with how Tuchel sees it too. The manager believes Rice can handle the pain and still perform, which is good news for a team already dealing with limited depth in defense.
The exact lineup won’t be known until closer to kickoff. But based on what Tuchel said, expect Rice to start in his usual midfield spot — not at right-back. That is, unless he has to.
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