Declan Rice limped out of England's 4-2 win over Croatia in the 72nd minute, but both the player and Thomas Tuchel moved quickly to calm the concern. Tuchel said Rice felt discomfort in his lower back and upper hamstring, while Rice said he was “all good, good as gold” and expects to be back against Ghana.

Why Tuchel took Rice off

Tuchel did not dress it up after the match. Speaking to goal.com, he said Rice had “some unusual ball losses” and that he noticed “a bit of discomfort” before the midfielder pointed directly to the problem area. The England boss said he did not want to take any risks, adding that if he took Rice off, “it was the moment to protect”.

The change was not a quiet one in football terms. Reece James came on in midfield, and England still finished the job with a 4-2 win. Rice had already put in a steady shift before leaving, with a 6.9 rating and one assist against Croatia.

Rice says he should be back against Ghana

Rice's own update was even clearer. “All good, good as gold,” he said, before explaining that he has been nursing “little pains here and there” in the second half of the season. He then added the line England will want to hear most: “I'm all fine, just precaution and I'll be back out there against Ghana.”

That is the sensible read here. The substitution happened late, Tuchel framed it as protection, and Rice sounded relaxed enough to talk about the issue as something he has been managing rather than a fresh setback. England will still be cautious, but this was presented as a precautionary withdrawal, not a major alarm.

Tuchel had another gripe from the night as well, complaining that photographers ruined his first England anthem experience. He said a wall of 50 photographers, half a metre away, blocked his view. That complaint belongs in its own bucket. On the Rice issue, the message from both camp and player was straightforward: discomfort, rest, and a return target against Ghana.

If Rice is back for Ghana, the scare will be remembered as just that, a scare.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →