Thomas Tuchel Expects Declan Rice to Be Ready for Ghana

Thomas Tuchel expects Declan Rice to be ready for England’s next World Cup test against Ghana, despite the midfielder being withdrawn during the 4-2 win over Croatia with what was described as “discomfort”.

Rice was central to England’s high-tempo, attacking display in their 2026 World Cup opener, anchoring the midfield as Tuchel’s side seized control in a chaotic, end-to-end contest. Then came the flicker of concern.

Midway through the second half, with England still trading blows with Croatia, Tuchel spotted something he did not like. Rice, usually so secure in possession, started to misplace passes. His movement tightened. The England manager went straight to the source.

“Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort,” Tuchel said afterwards. “I asked him, and he pointed directly to his lower back, upper hamstring, that he feels the discomfort.”

That was enough. With the tournament barely underway and Rice such a central pillar of England’s plans, Tuchel refused to gamble.

“I didn’t want to take any risk, so I decided to take Declan off, which I never wanted to do, but it was the moment to protect him,” he explained.

Reece James, usually a full-back, stepped into central midfield and, in Tuchel’s view, “did so well” in the role as England saw the game out.

The substitution inevitably sparked anxiety among England supporters, but both manager and player moved quickly to calm the mood. Tuchel praised Rice’s overall display, calling it a “fantastic game”, and stressed that the issue looked minor.

“I think Reece James did so well to replace him in the central midfield,” Tuchel said. “[Rice] had a fantastic game, so I hope it’s nothing more, and he just reassured me at the end that it’s good and he knows the discomfort. We will take care of it, and this is nothing big to worry about.”

Rice echoed that assessment in the mixed zone, brushing off fears of a serious problem and linking the pain to a familiar issue from his club season.

“All good, good as gold,” he said. “Just what I’ve been nursing, probably, in the second half of the season at Arsenal, little neural pains here and there.

“But yeah, I’m all good, I’m all fine, just precaution and I’ll be back out there again against Ghana.”

England, then, can breathe. Their midfield leader expects to be back in the thick of it when Ghana arrive, and Tuchel’s decision to act early may prove one of the most important interventions of England’s opening night.