England midfielder Declan Rice has disclosed that he has been managing nerve pain in his hamstring since Christmas, highlighting the toll of an 'obscene' number of matches this season. The 25-year-old was substituted in the 72nd minute of England's 4-2 World Cup win over Croatia last Wednesday, sparking fitness concerns. Rice described the decision as 'smart' and confirmed he would be fit for the second group game against Ghana on Tuesday.
'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,' Rice told ITV Sport. 'Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.' The problem relates to the upper hamstring, with pain radiating into his lower back.
Rice has played 63 matches this season — 55 for Arsenal and eight for England — including Champions League and Carabao Cup finals. 'It's an obscene amount of games,' he said. 'The schedule was crazy but what can we do about it? You can't sit and complain. We have to just get on with it for the moments like I had in the Premier League, winning that Premier League.'
The midfielder also addressed teammate Bukayo Saka's achilles issue, which has limited his minutes. Saka played only as a substitute against Croatia and is unlikely to start against Ghana. 'Bukayo will impact this tournament,' Rice said. 'I think we're managing him the right way, for sure.' Noni Madueke is expected to continue on the right wing.
France defender William Saliba, another Arsenal player, admitted he has been playing through minor niggles for months. 'I've been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League,' he said. 'The World Cup comes round only once every four years so you've got to grit your teeth.'
