Declan Rice injury worries laid bare after Gary Neville and Ian Wright agree on England star
Declan Rice has been forced to play through injury and illness for Arsenal and England at the World Cup
Gary Neville and Ian Wright have expressed concern over Declan Rice after the Arsenal star "didn't look right" during England's World Cup quarter-final. Former Three Lions international Lee Dixon noticed how the Arsenal midfielder looked devoid of energy during the Three Lions' World Cup quarter-final with Norway.
Rice had to overcome a bug to be fit for selection to face Stale Solbakken's side in Miami on Saturday, while he has been nursing a persistent issue with his hamstring. The Gunners star managed the problem in order to help them to their first Premier League title in 20 years, while he has been forced to play through pain after emerging as a star man for Thomas Tuchel.
The 27-year-old was left out of the starting 11 entirely for their 2-0 win over Panama in the final match of their group stage campaign. Gary Neville questioned whether the 27-year-old was fit to begin with.
He said: "I think it could be Declan Rice [being substituted] because in the first-half, I don't know what was up with him. He was struggling with corners, and I wondered whether he looked fit."
Ian Wright added: "He has been struggling in the first-half, you could tell with his set-pieces, he didn't look right."
Dixon felt that the problems were beginning to catch up with Rice during the first half. He said: "It's not like Declan Rice, it took him an age to get out there to take that corner, he looks energy-depleted. His body language... he's hit two corners, a free-kick, he never misses the spot, it's just missing from his game.
"He wandered over, we're 1-0 down - get yourself over, take it quickly. He just looks off colour, which we know he is."
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Rice was brought off at half-time and replaced by Eberechi Eze.
England fell behind after a dominant first half-hour when Andreas Schjelderup's cross-cum-shot caught Jordan Pickford off guard. The World Cup dark-horses then had a gilt-edged chance go begging when Alexander Sorloth failed to convert a counter-attack when he selfishly opted to go alone, despite golden boot-chasing Erling Haaland in support.
They were forced to rue the passage of play when Jude Bellingham powered home the equaliser after combining with Anthony Gordon.
Solbakken couldn't hide his frustration as he threw a water bottle towards his bench, clipping one of the Norwegian staff members on its way to the ground. He made the same action again when Sorloth squandered a good goalscoring opportunity.
Norway thought they'd retaken the lead just before the hour-mark when Torbjorn Heggem reacted fastest from a set-piece to fire into the roof of the net.
However, Erling Haaland was penalised for a foul on Elliot Anderson which meant that the goal was ruled out and the corner was ordered to be retaken.
Rules implemented before a ball was kicked at the World Cup meant that IFAB gave FIFA permission to allow a VAR review if it directly leads to a goal, penalty or disciplinary sanction.