Rice Reveals His Struggle with a Chronic Injury Before the World Cup

England midfielder Declan Rice revealed that he had been dealing with nerve pain in his hamstring for a long period, lasting up to about six months. He confirmed that the issue sometimes extended to his lower back during his participation with his club Arsenal and the national team in the current season.

He explained: "I was experiencing some nerve pain in my hamstring, and I had been dealing with it since after Christmas with Arsenal for a long time, and not many people knew about it. It was something happening behind the scenes."

Rice added, speaking about the fixture congestion this season: "The number of matches was unusually excessive, the schedule was crazy, but what can we do? We can't just sit and complain; we have to keep playing. Especially when you reach moments of winning titles, you want to play as many matches as possible to feel that again."

The Arsenal player explained that his substitution in the last match was precautionary, saying: "In the end, it's the last 20 minutes when you feel your body starting to decline, so I think the decision was smart because in recent days I've felt much better and physically ready."

Rice also spoke about managing his teammate Bukayo Saka's situation, saying: "Saka will make an impact in the tournament. We are managing him well; we don't want to rush him in and risk him. He is training excellently and is one of the most influential players I have played with."