The noise around Declan Rice's availability for England's World Cup meeting with Ghana has been a quiet hum rather than a full blown alarm. Word from...
The noise around Declan Rice's availability for England's World Cup meeting with Ghana has been a quiet hum rather than a full blown alarm. Word from the camp, as gathered by GoalZaza, suggests the West Ham midfielder will shake off the lower back tightness that troubled him during the gritty win over Croatia. For Gareth Southgate, that is a serious relief. Rice is the metronome in this England side, the man who reads the game two passes ahead and breaks up play before it even turns dangerous.Let's be frank. Losing him now would have been a tactical headache of the highest order. Against a Ghana side that will likely try to get in England's faces and exploit any hesitation in the transitional phases, Rice's positional intelligence is non negotiable. He doesn't just screen the back four; he dictates the rhythm. When he's off the pitch, England's midfield can look porous, stretched, suddenly vulnerable to the kind of direct counter attacks that African nations excel at. The back pain A niggle, a reminder of the physical toll this tournament takes. But fitness staff will have him strapped, iced, and ready.What does this mean for the game itself It means Southgate can stick with the system that ground down Croatia. Rice sitting deep, allowing the attacking talent ahead of him to roam with freedom. Ghana will try to bully him, to test that back early with a few robust challenges. That is football. The question is whether Rice, even at ninety five percent, can still cover the ground and cut out those danger balls into the channels. My money is on yes. He is a competitor, the kind of player who thrives on proving his resilience. Squeaky bum time Not quite yet. But having him in the middle of the park turns a potential problem into a statement of intent. England go into this one with their spine intact.
