Declan Rice has put injury fears to rest, confirming he is fully fit and ready to feature in England's FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match against Ghana.

The Arsenal midfielder was withdrawn during England's opening victory over Croatia after experiencing lower back discomfort and neural pain in his hamstring — a problem he had been managing quietly behind the scenes throughout the latter part of the season with Arsenal.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'm fit and raring to go. I think it was a smart decision to take me off. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Not a lot of people would've known — it was all behind-the-scenes stuff," Rice said.

Rice was adamant that the substitution was precautionary rather than a sign of any serious concern, pointing out that the closing stages of any match are when players are most vulnerable to injury.

"The last 20 minutes is where you probably pick up most injuries. That last 20 minutes is where you really feel your body going through it. The last few days I've felt really, really good," he added.

Saka being carefully managed

Rice also weighed in on the fitness of Arsenal teammate Bukayo Saka, who is not expected to start against Ghana after manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed the forward would be eased back carefully.

"One hundred per cent, yes — he can still make an impact. It's been really good the way we've been managing him. The amount of football he's played, I've seen him at Arsenal with this Achilles problem. I think we're managing him the right way. You don't want to put him in straight away and put him at risk," Rice said.

England in full training

Both Rice and Marcus Rashford were spotted taking full part in England's training session on Saturday, with reports indicating both players are available for selection against Ghana. Tuchel is expected to rotate his squad, having given his players six days of rest ahead of the fixture.

England enter the match as strong favourites in Group L, with three points and top spot in their sights as they push for progression to the knockout rounds.