England midfielder Declan Rice is an injury concern after limping out of the Three Lions' 0-0 draw with Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Boston. The Arsenal star was seen with his left calf strapped and a noticeable limp as he walked through the mixed zone, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.
Injury update and severity
Ornstein posted on X: 'Declan Rice walked through mixed zone with left calf strapped & noticeable limp after England 0-0 draw with Ghana in 2nd match at 2026 FIFA World Cup. Severity unclear ahead of last Group L game against Panama.' The 27-year-old had previously admitted to nursing a neural issue for months, stating before the Ghana match: 'Yeah, all good, good as gold. 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, all fine, just precaution. I'll be back out there against Ghana.'
Match performance and group situation
England struggled to break down a well-drilled Ghana side under Carlos Queiroz, who sat in a low block throughout. The Three Lions had chances, notably for Nico O'Reilly and Harry Kane late on, but failed to score. Despite the stalemate, England can still top Group L by beating Panama on Saturday. Rice was booked during the match, meaning another yellow card would see him suspended for the first knockout game.
Tuchel's options and Rice's view
Manager Thomas Tuchel may opt to rest Rice against Panama, with Kobbie Mainoo and Jordan Henderson available as replacements. Speaking after the draw, Rice said: 'It is always difficult when you play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they were, but you have to find solutions. In the last 10 minutes, we were unlucky not to score. We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama, so positivity all round.' He added: 'They were very compact, 5-4-1 off the ball and tight spaces to play through, but on the other hand we can do more with the ball. You have to give credit to Ghana. It's tough and they are good players so it was never going to be an easy game. We have one more group game to top the group so we have to be positive.'
