Tuchel reveals – Thomas Tuchel admitted he would “never normally” take Declan Rice off, but substituted the Arsenal midfielder with 18 minutes left after he went off limping and had concerns over a problem Rice said he has been “nursing” for weeks. England’s World Cup campaign
When Declan Rice finally disappeared from view with 18 minutes remaining. England’s joy at a winning World Cup start immediately came with a quieter worry. The Arsenal midfielder went off with a limp during the opening match against Croatia on Wednesday night. with his father Sean and girlfriend Lauren Fryer watching from the stands in Dallas.
Thomas Tuchel later made it plain the substitution wasn’t routine. “Normally I would never take Declan out but I didn’t want to take any risk,” the England boss said on ITV after Rice was replaced by Morgan Rogers.
Rice, 27, insists he is fine. Speaking to ITV, he said: “All good. Good as gold. Just what I’ve been nursing probably in the second half of the season at Arsenal.” He added that there were “Little neural pains here and there. ” but insisted the move was “just precaution” and that he expects to be on the pitch again for England’s next Group L match against Ghana on Tuesday night week.
Tuchel described what he saw and what he heard. Rice pointed to areas of discomfort—his lower back, his upper hamstring—and Tuchel said he didn’t want to take any chances. “Declan pointed to his lower back, upper hamstring and feels some discomfort. I didn’t want to take any risks,” Tuchel said.
“Let’s see, I hope they are okay,” Tuchel added when asked about Rice and other England injury concerns. “Declan reassured me at the end it’s good. It’s nothing big to worry about.” Before England move through the next stretch of games. Tuchel and his staff will assess Rice. with the immediate priority shifting from celebrating Croatia to making sure the midfielder can handle what comes next.
The match itself gave supporters plenty to cheer. In a game that delivered goals and swings in momentum, England came from a disjointed first half to crush Croatia, with Harry Kane scoring twice, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also finding the net. Rice played his part with an assist.
Croatia and England traded goals in the first half before Tuchel’s dressing-down at half-time flipped the tone. After that reset, England came out sharper and pressed with intent, turning the contest into the World Cup’s most entertaining display so far.
Winger Anthony Gordon summed up the emotional change in Tuchel’s halftime message. Speaking to talkSPORT. Gordon said Tuchel told the players: “Loosen up.” He said Tuchel also referenced what they’d been doing. adding. “This is not what I see in training”. Gordon explained that the training sessions have been intense—“the highest level”—and that Tuchel challenged the idea that the issues were coming from preparation.
Gordon recalled Tuchel’s push for freedom: “He said, ‘What’s the worse that can happen – we lose the game? So what! Let’s go out and be ourselves’. And that really kicked us into gear because we came out strong.”
One win can carry a team a long way. but in this one. the evening’s brightest moment had a second storyline running underneath it. England left Dallas with momentum—and with Rice’s limp and reported discomfort turning the next few days into a test of timing. medical caution. and how quickly the midfielder can return to full stride before Ghana.
MISRYOUM England Croatia World Cup Declan Rice Thomas Tuchel Morgan Rogers Harry Kane Jude Bellingham Marcus Rashford Anthony Gordon Group L Ghana