Thomas Tuchel told to consider dropping 27-year-old star for World Cup quarter-final against Norway

Should Tuchel Drop Declan Rice for England’s World Cup Quarter-Final? Pearce Weighs In

England manager Thomas Tuchel faces a significant selection dilemma ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Norway, with club legend Stuart Pearce suggesting he may need to consider leaving Declan Rice out of the starting lineup.

The former Three Lions defender has raised concerns over a lingering physical issue that the Arsenal midfielder has been managing throughout the tournament.

Injury Concerns Linger

Rice has been ever-present in England’s knockout campaign so far, playing the full 90 minutes in Monday’s dramatic last-16 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. He also completed the 2-1 win against DR Congo in the round of 32, having been substituted late on in that fixture.

However, the 27-year-old has been dealing with a neural problem affecting his hamstring and lower back since the Christmas period.

To complicate matters further, Rice also missed England’s final group-stage match against Panama due to a calf complaint—underscoring the physical fragility that has followed him through the competition.

Speaking on the talkSPORT World Cup Breakfast alongside Jeff Stelling and Gabby Agbonlahor, Pearce voiced his apprehension about the midfielder’s fitness.

“The only thing that might be a consideration to him [Tuchel] is the injury… a concern that’s been with him [Rice] for a few games,” Pearce observed.

Agbonlahor, the former Aston Villa striker, added: “He’s not 100%, let’s put it that way.”

Pearce continued: “Yeah, exactly, but you wouldn’t think it with his performances. Is that [continuing to play while nursing an issue] going to do him more damage and is he likely to break down? If there is a risk there, I think you’d be foolish as a manager to play him.”

The Right-Back Conundrum

Despite his fitness worries, Pearce has urged Tuchel to field his strongest available side—though that raises further questions about Rice’s role, particularly given England’s ongoing struggles at right-back.

Reece James has missed the last three matches with a hamstring strain, Djed Spence has failed to convince in the position, and Jarell Quansah—who started there against Mexico—is suspended after his controversial red card. That leaves Tuchel with a defensive headache that has prompted some to wonder whether Rice could be deployed out wide.

But when Stelling put that possibility to Agbonlahor, the former England international dismissed it outright.

“I don’t think so,” Agbonlahor replied. “I just think you lose that energy in midfield, don’t you?”

Stelling suggested Kobbie Mainoo could be drafted into the side, but Agbonlahor was quick to point out that the Manchester United youngster has yet to feature a single minute in the tournament.

Disciplinary Tightrope

Rice is also walking a disciplinary tightrope heading into the quarter-final. He is one of four England players—alongside Jude Bellingham, Marc Guehi, and Nico O’Reilly—who are just one yellow card away from missing a potential semi-final.

That additional risk only adds to Tuchel’s calculations as he weighs whether to start his midfield anchor against a Norway side boasting considerable creative threat.

Norway Test Looms

Agbonlahor emphasised the importance of Rice’s presence in the middle of the park, particularly to counter Norway captain Martin Ødegaard, who dictated play impressively against Brazil in the previous round.

“I think with Ødegaard, how he dictated the game against Brazil, you need Rice and [Elliot] Anderson to dictate the game in midfield—you really do,” Agbonlahor stressed.

A Welcome Kick-Off Time for Fans

For the thousands of England supporters who stayed up into the early hours of Monday morning to watch the Mexico thriller, there is at least some relief on the horizon.

Saturday’s quarter-final kicks off at a considerably more civilised 10pm BST, offering fans a chance to catch the action without sacrificing too much sleep.

The quarter-final stage begins on Thursday night, with 2022 runners-up France taking on 2022 semi-finalists and African champions Morocco in Boston.