Tuchel clear on Rice fitness despite ‘terrible pain’ scare ahead of Mexico clash
England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that midfielder Declan Rice suffered no structural injury during the World Cup victory over DR Congo and remains available from game to game despite battling severe neural pain.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has provided a reassuring yet cautious fitness update on Declan Rice following the Three Lions’ dramatic 2-1 World Cup round-of-32 victory over DR Congo in Atlanta.
The crucial midfielder was substituted in the closing minutes of the match after visibly struggling with discomfort, prompting immediate concerns over his availability for the upcoming round-of-16 blockbuster showdown against tournament co-hosts Mexico.
Tuchel revealed that while Rice explicitly admitted to playing through “terrible pain” to support the team’s successful second-half comeback, the issue is structural-free.
The German tactician characterized the discomfort as persistent neural pain rather than a fresh muscular tear, confirming the Arsenal star has avoided serious injury and possesses the physical resilience to continue featuring on a game-to-game basis during the knockout stages.
