With England looking for the first spot in Group L against Panama, the Three Lions won’t be counting with Declan Rice among the starters. Declan Rice has established himself as one of the most fundamental anchors for the England national team in recent years, mirroring his rise as an elite midfielder with Arsenal. However, as the lineups were released ahead of today’s 2026 World Cup group stage clash against Panama at Gillette Stadium in Boston, his absence from the starting eleven raised several eyebrows among fans.
Rice will not start the match against Panama as he continues to recover from a minor lower-body issue. Following England’s previous match against Ghana, the midfielder was spotted leaving the stadium with heavy wrapping around his left calf, sparking immediate concern that he had sustained an injury during the game.
Fortunately, the FA has since reported that the strapping was merely a precautionary measure and that Rice had only suffered a minor knock. The central midfielder subsequently sat out Thursday’s training session before successfully returning to practice alongside his teammates on Friday.
Despite his return to the training pitch, Rice has not yet recovered entirely from the knock. With qualification to the knockout rounds on the line, head coach Thomas Tuchel has decided against risking the Arsenal star from the opening whistle, opting to keep him on the bench with the potential to log second-half minutes to maintain match fitness ahead of the Round of 32.
*Developing story…