Declan Rice Eases Injury Concerns After England's Win Over Croatia

Declan Rice walked slowly towards the touchline, the limp obvious, the concern instant. England were 4-2 up on Croatia, the game in their grip, but all eyes went to the midfielder who makes them tick.

His manager moved first.

With 72 minutes gone, the Three Lions boss wasted no time, hauling off his star man the moment Rice signalled to the bench that something wasn’t right. This wasn’t a tactical tweak. It was protection.

Rice had already left his mark on the game, threading the assist for Harry Kane and anchoring England’s midfield in Arlington. Then the warning signs appeared: a couple of uncharacteristic giveaways, a grimace, a hand to the lower back.

The German coach spelled it out afterwards. Declan had complained of discomfort around his lower back and upper hamstring, enough for the staff to act. The decision, he insisted, was about avoiding a bigger problem, not reacting to one.

If he is taking Rice off in a major tournament, it has to be serious. This time, it was precaution. Reece James stepped into midfield and, to his manager’s eye, delivered a “fantastic” display in the role, helping England see the game out with authority.

Rice’s condition has been a nagging subplot since the end of the domestic season. During Arsenal’s run-in, as they chased both the Premier League and Champions League, he needed injections to get through the final weeks. The workload has been heavy, the expectation even heavier.

So when he hobbled off here, alarm bells rang.

Rice, though, cut a far more relaxed figure once the job was done. Smiling in the mixed zone, he insisted there was no cause for panic. Speaking to ITV, he described himself as “all good, good as gold,” admitting he has been nursing “little pains here and there” in the latter part of the campaign, but stressing this was simply a precaution. He expects to be ready to face Ghana.

On the pitch, his withdrawal did little to derail England’s momentum. The real turning point had already come – in the dressing room.

After a wild first half that ended level and left England looking oddly jittery, the mood changed at the break. The captain lifted the lid on the half-time message: the manager had told them to strip away the fear, to “take the shackles off” and show their real level.

The response was emphatic.

England came out “full gas,” as Kane put it, and Croatia couldn’t live with the tempo. Once the Three Lions edged ahead, they tightened their grip. The control Kane spoke of was clear: England managed the ball, picked their moments, and then sliced through on the counter when space opened up. There was a spell where they might have scored three or four more.

Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford joined Kane on the scoresheet, their second-half strikes underlining England’s dominance and sealing three vital points. The 4-2 victory plants them firmly in command of Group L and sends a clear message about their attacking ceiling when they play with freedom.

Rice, watching the closing stages from the sidelines, was quick to praise the shift in attitude and intensity after the interval. He admitted the first half “probably felt worse than what it was” because of the manner of the goals conceded, even though England had enjoyed plenty of the ball.

The restart told a different story. There was more bite in the press, more aggression in the runs, more conviction in every surge forward. England’s physical edge began to show, their strength and speed overwhelming Croatia. Only a superb goalkeeping display stopped the scoreline from becoming a rout.

By the final whistle, the narrative had split in two: a statement win on one side, a fitness watch on the other.

For now, Rice’s own verdict is reassuring. The medical staff will monitor that back and hamstring closely, but the midfielder insists he will be “back out there against Ghana.” England have their first win, their attacking stars are firing, and their midfield general expects to be ready for the next battle.