Rice declares himself fit for England's knockout run despite hamstring and calf concerns

Declan Rice has moved to quell growing concerns over his fitness, declaring himself ready for England’s World Cup knockout campaign after missing the final Group stage match against Panama.

The Arsenal midfielder has been dealing with a combination of a hamstring issue, back problems, and a calf knock sustained late in the Ghana game — injuries that prompted him to wear compression socks during training and raised questions about his availability for the last-16 tie with DR Congo.

“I’m good, genuinely, I’m good,” Rice said. “I know there’s been one niggle over my hamstring, which has been an issue, but that’s not a problem because I’m still here training, I’m playing. I’m fine. I got a dead calf in the last minute of the Ghana game. The guy whacked me and it literally blew up for like three days, so that was just unlucky. It wasn’t actually a calf problem.”

Rice explained that the hamstring issue is one he has managed since Christmas, and that the brief rest after Arsenal’s Champions League final appearance may have triggered a flare-up. Throughout last season, he said, the demands of club football meant he was barely training between matches.

“It’s not just a pain that happens during football. You could be sat at home and you’d feel a little pain shoot up your leg,” he said. “I think the body had a little bit of a shock because I played the Champions League final, had a week completely off-feet where I did nothing, and then just got myself back into a rhythm again.”

Despite the setbacks, Rice was emphatic that missing the Panama match was a squad-management decision rather than a sign of serious concern. “It’s the World Cup and missing out the other day isn’t a problem. We have a squad of 26 who are unbelievable and can play. I want to play every match, but for the good of the team I don’t mind missing out the odd game just for other players to play — as long as we keep going and winning matches.”

Rice also confirmed the issue is not expected to carry into next season. “Once this season’s done, I’ll get my rest and I’m sure next season I’ll go into it fine,” he added.