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What happened to Declan Rice? England midfielder suddenly leaves game vs. Norway at halftime with nagging injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
England were considered one of the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup ahead of the tournament thanks to the wealth of talent all across the squad, and they have proven why during the competition itself, reaching the quarterfinals.
En route to the final eight, the Three Lions have had to manage the fitness of a number of important players, including Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.
The 27-year-old has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since joining the London club from neighbors West Ham, and has established himself as a regular workhorse for England in the process. Thus, any absence for Rice from the national team is a notable occurrence, and one that begs questions as to why he is not on the pitch.
The Sporting News explains why Rice was brought off at halftime of their quarterfinal game against Norway, and what he has been dealing with which could require further treatment once the tournament is over.
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What happened to Declan Rice vs. Norway?
England midfielder Declan Rice was hauled at halftime of England's World Cup quarterfinal match against Norway.
With Rice brought off, Thomas Tuchel replaced him in midfield with Eberechi Eze.
Rice has been dealing with extreme pain in his hamstring for the last six months. However, the pain is caused by a nerve issue. According to Rice himself as well as Tuchel, the pain is due to a sciatica nerve issue, while his hamstring is structurally intact.
"I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time," Rice told reporters after the group stage win over Croatia. "Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff, but it was a smart decision."
MORE: Meet Andreas Schjelderup, who scored for Norway vs. England
Who replaced Declan Rice?
Rice's Arsenal teammate Eberechi Eze came on to replace him at halftime of the Norway match.
The change is a significant one, because the two players are not similar in style. While Rice is much more assured in possession and stringent with his positioning, Eze is a more attack-minded midfielder who takes risks on the ball to greater reward.
England do not have a No. 8 of Rice's talent available on the roster to replace him, other than Elliot Anderson who is already deployed in midfield, starting next to Rice from the beginning.
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