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SportsDeclan Rice confident of starting World Cup semi-final against Argentina
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According to talkSPORT reporter Jake Lambourne, England midfielder Declan Rice is confident of starting in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. The Arsenal midfielder returned to full training on Monday after being substituted at halftime in the quarter-final victory over Norway due to illness. Manager Thomas Tuchel revealed Rice had been bedridden for most of the past three days and that the decision to substitute him was tough but necessary to preserve substitution options. Despite concerns he might miss his second match of the tournament, Rice has told medical staff he is fit to start, which would be his sixth start. Rice has also been battling injuries, including nerve pain in his hamstring since December, a calf injury, and severe pain that led to a late substitution request in the round of 16 against DR Congo. He has made 67 appearances for club and country in the grueling 2025/26 season.
Source report
Hupu Football News — 3 minutes ago
England midfielder Declan Rice is confident of starting in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina, according to talkSPORT reporter Jake Lambourne.
The Arsenal midfielder returned to full training on Monday after being substituted at halftime in the quarter-final victory over Norway due to illness.
Illness and Recovery
Rice had been struggling with illness before the match and missed training on Thursday. Manager Thomas Tuchel explained the difficult decision in an interview with talkSPORT:
"We knew Declan was gritting his teeth. He initially said he could continue, at least until the next water break. But I was worried that if we played 120 minutes and Elliott (Anderson) wasn't on the pitch, we'd be in trouble with substitutions. So we made the tough call to keep Declan in the dressing room. It paid off in the end because Anderson managed to play the full 120 minutes; otherwise, we would have been in real trouble."
Tuchel also revealed that Rice had been bedridden for most of the past three days due to illness.
Readiness for Argentina
Despite concerns that Rice might miss his second match of the World Cup, the former West Ham captain has told the medical staff he is ready to start against Argentina. This would be his sixth start of the tournament.
Ongoing Injury Struggles
During this World Cup, Rice has been battling not only illness in the United States but also injuries. In the grueling 2025/26 season, Rice has made 67 appearances for club and country. He revealed last month that he has been dealing with nerve pain in his hamstring since December.
Initial concerns arose when Rice limped off in the 4-2 opening win over Croatia, and a calf injury in the 0-0 draw with Ghana caused him to miss the final group match against Panama. In the 2-1 round-of-16 victory over DR Congo, Tuchel disclosed that Rice asked to be substituted late in the game due to "severe pain."
Source: talkSPORT
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Burned out
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Rice is about to turn into cooked rice
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