Declan Rice watched from afar as England won 7-0 away to Croatia on Saturday.
“Arsenal” midfielder Declan Rice has been the main player of the England national team in recent times. It showed during the World Cup, when he played through injury to help the Three Lions finish third in the Americas.
This could be a contributing factor in his exclusion from the squad for the current international break as England begin their Nations League campaign. This was reported by football.londonit was withdrawn due to load handling concerns.
That didn’t stop him from showing support to his international teammates at halftime Rice performs at Wembley Stadium For the 3:2 defeat against Spain.
He is likely to have watched England’s final Nations League clash with Croatia from home on Saturday. In the match, Alex Scott made his debut in midfield alongside Elliot Anderson and Jude Bellingham.
Harry Kane (x2), Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka (x2) and Morgan Rodgers scored a memorable performance for Thomas Tuchel’s side as they won 7-0.
Scott was singled out as one of the players, receiving widespread praise for the performance. He was involved in the moves for England’s first and fifth goals of the night as he outplayed both Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric in the Croatian midfield.
He was certainly in contention to be in the starting line-up more often as he looks for a place in the squad for the Euros in less than two years’ time. With Rice unavailable, Scott could be given another chance to shine when England face the Czech Republic at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday evening.
It’s a situation the Arsenal man will be watching closely. While his importance to England means he will again be a key player in the next international break, the match against Croatia could show Tuchel has other options.
Speaking after Scott’s game against the Czech Republic a few days ago, Tuchel said: “He’s got the feet, he’s good in defense and high pressing, he’s very smooth on the ball, he’s good at decision-making and that’s why we trust him.”
Rice suddenly finds himself in more competition for a place in England’s midfield. Some supporters on social media have questioned whether he is now in the starting line-up.
“It’s never going to happen but England’s growth and development looks better with Alex Scott than Declan Rice,” said one fan.
“He’s said countless times that if you don’t want old football, you don’t need a Rice x Anderson pivot,” the latter said. “Alex Scott is a breath of fresh air.”
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It could, of course, be Man City’s Elliot Anderson who misses out. A third fan added: “Declan Rice is a nailed starter when available so it will be interesting to see who Thomas Tuchel partners with him.
“Biased from me, but I think Alex Scott strikes a better balance. Never liked the Rice/Anderson partnership.”
Rice will look to return to his best form against Arsenal after taking some much-needed rest to keep the competition at bay. His performances in the Premier League should send a message to Tuchel to ensure he retains his starting place.
Scott’s performance is also bad news for another Arsenal man in Myles Lewis-Skelly. The left-back midfielder started both of England’s games against Spain and the Czech Republic in the same position as Scott, but was replaced by the Bournemouth man for the defeat to Croatia.
Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are also fighting for a place in midfield, which only adds to the competition in the England squad. Strength in depth will be a welcome headache for Tuchel, with players now having to go the extra mile to show why they should be selected.