Declan Rice reveals six‑month hamstring pain, backs Tuchel

Midfielder Declan Rice disclosed that he has been coping with neural hamstring pain for six months, confirming his support for Thomas Tuchel’s choice to substitute him in England’s 4‑2 World Cup victory over Croatia. He said the decision was smart and that the issue had been managed behind the scenes since after Christmas with Arsenal. Rice was withdrawn in the 72nd minute of the match, which England won 4‑2 against Croatia. The timing sparked questions about his condition after a gruelling campaign. He resumed training with his England teammates over the weekend ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup group game against Ghana at Gillette Stadium. Rice clarified that the hamstring problem was not a recent development. Speaking to ITV, Rice said: “It was a smart decision. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal, for a very long time.”

Tuchel shouts at Djed Spence during England prep for Ghana

The Ghana fixture will mark Rice’s 64th appearance of the season across club and country, a tally that includes Arsenal’s Premier League title triumph and their run to the Champions League final. He described the schedule as an “obscene amount of games” but refused to complain, adding that players must put their bodies on the line to compete. Rice also noted that he has collected his second Arsenal Player of the Year award during the campaign. With training back on track, Rice looks set to feature against Ghana, hoping to avoid further setbacks.