Thomas Tuchel has been warned that starting Declan Rice in England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway would be 'foolish' if the midfielder is not fully fit. The Arsenal star is already a doubt for the clash due to a sickness bug, and he has been managing a hamstring issue throughout the tournament.
Rice's injury concerns
Rice was seen with an ice pack on his left hamstring during the latter stages of England's 2-1 win against DR Congo in the last 32. Tuchel confessed that Rice was playing with 'terrible pain' but he was able to last the full 90 minutes in England's 3-2 victory over Mexico last Sunday. Rice has been managing a hamstring problem since Christmas but continued to play a key role for Arsenal during their Premier League success last season.
Pearce's warning
Speaking on talkSport, former England international Stuart Pearce said: 'The only thing that might be a consideration to him [Tuchel] is the injury… a concern that’s been with him [Rice] for a few games.' Pearce added: 'Is that going to do him more damage and is he likely to break down? If there is a risk there, I think you’d be foolish as a manager to play him.'
Sickness bug and isolation
This week Rice has already missed two days of training due to his sickness bug and has been isolated from his England teammates to prevent the illness from spreading across the squad. He is not the only injury concern; England defender Marc Guehi will be assessed on Friday to determine if he is fit enough to play in Saturday's clash against Norway. Guehi has a slight hamstring injury. The Manchester City star is desperate to prove his fitness and remains optimistic he can be involved.
Positive news on Reece James
In more positive news, right-back Reece James returned to training as expected on Thursday and is in contention for the quarter-final. This is especially timely after Jarrel Quansah was given a two-game ban following his red card against Mexico. Quansah was one of the few remaining players capable of operating at right-back.
