Audio By Carbonatix
England boss Thomas Tuchel says Declan Rice spent most of the three days before their World Cup quarter-final win against Norway in bed with sickness.
Rice started the 2-1 victory against Norway but looked like he was struggling in the stifling heat of the Miami Stadium before being replaced at the start of the second half by Arsenal team-mate Eberechi Eze.
England went 1-0 down when Andreas Schjelderup scored for Norway, but Jude Bellingham equalised just before half-time and also grabbed the winner for the Three Lions during extra time.
The win set up a semi-final against Argentina, who beat Switzerland, that will kick off at 20:00 BST on Wednesday, 15 July and be shown live across the BBC.
"We had some players struggling in the heat," said Tuchel. "Ezri Konsa was one of them with cramps and the hamstrings.
"Declan, we made a decision in half-time to become more offensive, to have a bit of an offensive shift.
"I made the decision when we were 1-0 down and didn't want to go back on the decision because of the equaliser."
Rice was a doubt for the Norway game as he had already been suffering with a neural issue affecting his hamstring and lower back, and it was exacerbated by illness.
He trained on the eve of the quarter-final but made way at the break.
Tuchel said: "We had to take Elliot [Anderson] or Declan out [and] knowing that Declan struggled after the last three days where he was most of the time in bed, I knew he cannot survive 90 minutes.
"There was a possibility that it goes 120 [minutes], so I didn't want to waste another change, so the decision was to take Declan out earlier than he needed to go out, just to save us another change later down the match."
Rice, who helped Arsenal win last season's Premier League title, has started five of England's six matches at the 2026 World Cup, with the group game against Panama being the only one he has missed.
Latest Stories
-
Mahama raises alarm over GH¢282bn SOE liabilities despite GH¢407.85bn assets
3 minutes -
87% of COCOBOD cocoa roads contracts directly awarded – IMF
7 minutes -
ECG, energy sector flagged over procurement and financial breaches – IMF
12 minutes -
One dead, several injured as tipper truck crashes into vehicles, shops in Kumasi
17 minutes -
SOEs rack up GH¢18.6bn in financial irregularities – IMF report
22 minutes -
Race Course demolition: CID arrests Dr Clemence Gyato as pressure mounts
27 minutes -
Maldives, Zambia, Antigua and Barbuda open visa-free travel to Ghanaians
32 minutes -
IMF warns political appointments could weaken SOE boards
37 minutes -
Mahama Ayariga calls for redevelopment of Zongos without displacing residents
43 minutes -
One dead, eight injured in accident on Sege-Kasseh highway
52 minutes -
‘Don’t meddle in SOEs day-to-day affairs’ -Mahama cautions Board Chairs
59 minutes -
‘Let the Constitution remain your compass’ – Mahama urges new SC Judges Â
1 hour -
GRA to audit lawyer who sued authority over tax exemption powers
1 hour -
We shall be independent enough- SC Judges assure Mahama
1 hour -
PURC Executive Secretary familiarises with GWL Kpeve Headworks activities
1 hour