England boss Thomas Tuchel has explained why he left Declan Rice out of his England starting lineup against Panama amid injury concerns around the Arsenal star
21:38, 27 Jun 2026Updated 21:52, 27 Jun 2026
Declan Rice
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Declan Rice has been dealing with a fitness issue(Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Thomas Tuchel has revealed he did not start Declan Rice against Panama to manage his minutes and avoid the risk of a World Cup ban. The German coach revealed that Rice was available to play, but he did not want to take any unnecessary risks ahead of the knockout stages.
Tuchel has opted to utilise Jude Bellingham alongside Elliot Anderson in the Three Lions' final group match in the United States, while Arsenal target Morgan Rogers took on a role behind Harry Kane. Rice has been managing an issue since the latter end of the Premier League season.
Following England's draw against Ghana, the Gunners superstar departed the Boston Stadium with strapping on his left calf. He then missed training on Thursday, leading to some concerns.
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While Tuchel is wary of managing Rice's situation, he was also concerned about the possibility of Rice picking up a yellow card. The 27-year-old picked up a caution against Ghana, and picking up a second before the knockout stages would see him receive a ban.
Following the match against Panama, England's yellow cards will be wiped. "I take care of Declan's situation," Tuchel said ahead of the match.
"He got a knock but is ready to play but I would like to manage his minutes. He has a yellow card so I want to see how this match plays out.
Declan Rice has been dealing with injury issues during the World Cup with England
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Declan Rice has been dealing with injury issues during the World Cup with England(Image: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
"Is it an intense match, are there a lot of duels, how is the referee with yellow cards? I need to get a feel for that and Declan knows that, that's why Jude goes in the eight position and Morgan is on the 10."
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has also come into Tuchel's starting XI, with England making five changes. Saka's introduction comes at Noni Madueke's expense, while Marcus Rashford, Jarell Quansah and Nico O'Reilly have come into the lineup, along with Rogers.
"I'm always excited about my team because we have a strong squad to select from," Tuchel said. "The target is to speed up the game because it's very difficult if we always play against 10 men defending with devotion and commitment. We have some things to improve.
"You focus too much on individual positions. It's not like Marcus for Anthony [Gordon] and everything is solved. Anthony did well, Marcus did well from the bench and now it's a turnaround.
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"Noni [Madueke] did well, now Saka has a chance to start. It's units on the side, we attack on the side and they all play into this. It's not just about Marcus or Anthony."
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