Declan Rice's Injury Update After England's Victory Against Croatia

Thomas Tuchel moved quickly to calm England nerves after the 4-2 win over Croatia, insisting Declan Rice will be ready for the next World Cup group game against Ghana despite being withdrawn in the second half.

Rice had been at the heart of England’s impressive opening victory, anchoring midfield with his usual authority before an unexpected twist midway through the second period. Tuchel, alert to a slight dip in his midfielder’s rhythm, did not like what he saw.

“Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort,” the England manager explained.

When he checked with his captain in the heat of the game, the response was immediate: Rice pointed to his lower back and upper hamstring area, signalling something was not quite right.

That was enough for Tuchel. The risk, in his eyes, simply wasn’t worth it.

He made the call to remove Rice, a player he openly admitted he “never wanted to” take off, and turned to Reece James to step into central midfield. The switch, bold on paper, worked. James impressed in the role, helping England see out a wild, open contest that had threatened to tilt away from them.

Tuchel’s tone after the match, though, was far from alarmed. He praised Rice’s performance as “fantastic” and stressed the decision was rooted in protection rather than panic. The midfielder, he added, had reassured him at full-time that the issue was familiar and manageable, something the medical staff could keep under control.

Rice backed that up with his own assessment. Relaxed in the aftermath of a high-intensity opener, the Arsenal man brushed off fears of a serious setback.

“All good, good as gold,” he said, describing the problem as “little neural pains here and there” that he has been nursing since the second half of last season at Arsenal. This, he stressed, was precaution, not crisis.

The plan is clear: rest, treatment, and then straight back into the XI.

“I’ll be back out there again against Ghana,” Rice promised.

England have their statement win. Now they expect their midfield cornerstone to be there when the stakes rise again.