2026 World Cup: Declan Rice delivers worrying injury update as fears grow surrounding irreplaceable England star

Arsenal's Declan Rice has revealed that helium has been dealing with nervus symptom successful his hamstring since Christmas, but the England prima is "ready and fit, raring to go".

Rice is regarded arsenic 1 of England's astir important players, arguably 2nd successful the squad down skipper Harry Kane.

As a result, determination were fears erstwhile the midfielder was forced disconnected successful the 72nd infinitesimal of England's opening lucifer of the 2026 World Cup, which ended successful a 4-2 triumph for the Three Lions.

After the game, England caput manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that an contented successful Rice's little backmost and precocious hamstring led to the substitution determination being made.

"Normally, I would ne'er instrumentality Declan out, but I didn't privation to instrumentality immoderate risk," Tuchel told ITV.

"Declan pointed to his little back, precocious hamstring and feels immoderate discomfort. I didn't privation to instrumentality immoderate risks. It was a infinitesimal to support him. I anticipation it's thing more. Declan reassured maine astatine the end, it's good. It's thing large to interest about."

Rice dealing with hamstring contented since Christmas

Rice has present provided an update connected his fitness, with the 27-year-old revealing that helium has been managing an contented since Christmas owed to the magnitude of matches helium has played.

“I’m acceptable and fit, raring to go,” helium told ITV. “I was feeling a small spot of neural symptom successful my hamstring, which I was managing from aft Christmas with Arsenal for a precise agelong time. Obviously, not a batch of radical would person known that. It was each behind-the-scenes worldly but it was a astute decision.

“In the end, that past 20 minutes is astir apt wherever you prime up the most, and it’s wherever you play a 70‑minute match. But that past 20 is wherever you truly consciousness your assemblage going for it. And I deliberation it was a astute determination due to the fact that the past fewer days I felt really, truly good.”

“It’s an obscene magnitude of games. The docket was brainsick but what tin we bash astir it? You can’t beryllium and complain. We person to conscionable get connected with it for the moments similar I had successful the ­Premier League, winning that ­Premier League.

England vs. Ghana: Rice successful enactment to commencement 2nd group-stage fixture astatine 2026 World Cup

"You cognize you’d play arsenic galore games arsenic imaginable to person that ­feeling again and ­knowing that there’s a World Cup astatine the extremity of it arsenic well. You cognize you’d enactment your assemblage connected the enactment to beryllium ever successful to play. It’s a batch of games but we’ll get our interruption astatine the end.”

Rice has played 63 matches this season, 58 of which came for Arsenal, with the Gunners finishing their run conscionable earlier the 2026 World Cup started, having secured a spot successful the Champions League final.

The midfielder is successful enactment to again commencement against Ghana connected Tuesday night, arsenic England look to publication their spot successful the knockout circular of the 2026 World Cup with a crippled to spare.

However, determination volition people beryllium concerns surrounding his fittingness arsenic the tourney progresses, arsenic losing Rice for a cardinal knockout-round fixture could person immense ramifications connected England's chances of occurrence this summer.