Declan Rice Isolates Ahead of Norway Clash as England Manage Illness Scare
Declan Rice has been separated from the rest of the England squad after falling ill on the eve of their World Cup quarter-final against Norway, with FA staff moving quickly to prevent a wider outbreak in camp.
The Arsenal midfielder, already carrying hamstring and lower-back issues after a gruelling season at the Emirates Stadium, has now been hit by a bug that has ruled him out of two consecutive training sessions. Medical staff have kept him away from the main group as a precaution, conscious of how quickly sickness can rip through a squad at this stage of a tournament.
For England, the timing could hardly be more delicate. Norway await in Saturday’s quarter-final, and while there is no definitive call yet on Rice’s availability, the early signs from inside the camp are that the illness has been contained. The hope is that the damage stops at one player, not one position in the spine of Gareth Southgate’s side.
Rice, a mainstay for both club and country, had pushed through the pain barrier for Arsenal last season and arrived at the World Cup managing those lingering muscle problems. Now his short-term fate hinges not on fitness, but on how quickly he can shake off the bug and regain enough strength to feature.
While England focus on Norway, Arsenal are already feeling the knock-on effects of the World Cup schedule. Rice is due to report late for pre-season, with players involved in the tournament granted a three-week break once their participation ends. That means the Gunners will start their summer work without several key names.
Pre-Season Absences
Arsenal’s preparations begin in Girona on August 1, but Rice will be missing, as will Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. All four are expected to sit out the opening pre-season fixture, and if England progress to the semi-finals, they are almost certain to miss the second warm-up game too, against Real Betis in Dublin on August 5.
The absences do not stop there. Across Europe, other Arsenal stars remain locked into international duty. Norway captain Martin Odegaard, France defender William Saliba, Spain pair David Raya and Martin Zubimendi, Spain’s Mikel Merino and Belgium’s Leandro Trossard are all on course to miss the start of Mikel Arteta’s pre-season schedule.
France have already secured their place in the last four with a 2-0 win over Morocco, while Spain face Belgium tonight for a semi-final spot. Every result shifts Arsenal’s summer picture slightly: another step forward for those nations is another delay to Arteta’s first full session with his strongest group.
For now, though, one question dominates England’s camp: can they get Declan Rice back on his feet in time for Norway, or will their midfield anchor be watching the quarter-final from isolation?
