Injury update on Arsenal duo pre-World Cup group decider

Declan Rice’s latest injury will be assessed before England’s next game, but the problem is believed to be nothing serious, according to reports.

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Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that England will assess Declan Rice’s fitness before their next game against Panama, after the midfielder limped away from their last match against Ghana with heavy strapping on his left calf.

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But Mokbel adds that sources have indicated there is no major concern that the problem will affect Rice’s long-term involvement at the tournament, it just requires assessment and rest before a decision on the Panama game can be made.

Mike Keegan and Craig Hope confirm for the Daily Mail that Rice’s problem is not thought to be serious, but add that no chances will be taken in the Panama game. Kobbie Mainoo is on standby to start if Rice is unable to.

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Matt Law and Mike McGrath report for The Telegraph that there’s ‘no concern’ that Rice has suffered a significant injury, and sources insist he’ll be fine. It just might be a risk to start him again in the Panama match.

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In other Arsenal-England injury news, Thomas Tuchel has continued to offer positive updates on Bukayo Saka.

“Bukayo seems to be more and more ready, and will hope­fully push, and then we will see what is com­ing,” Tuchel said after Ghana. “He’s get­ting there, and there’s more and more train­ing ses­sions, so he needs to have more ses­sions now. Two ses­sions to be ready for Panama.

“It’s not like Bukayo comes back and everything is solved, and I don’t want to put this on his back, he is a top player, that’s why he is with us, we need him des­per­ately, like every other player, in top shape, and push­ing.”

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England are on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup knockouts, and they may well be mathematically guaranteed to progress before they even play their match against Panama on Saturday.

England’s current worst-case scenario is finishing third in the group and as one of the four worst third-place finishers across all the groups. But three groups already have third-place finishers who can’t possibly have a better record than England.

Just one more from the next two days of games would wrap it up, at which point England will only be playing to try and top the group. It certainly seems like a good time to rest Rice.

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