Is Declan Rice fit to face Argentina? England sweating on Arsenal star following illness

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Declan Rice looks set to be available to start England’s semi-final clash against Argentina.The Arsenal midfielder was replaced by Eberechi Eze at half-time during England’s quarter-final win over Norway.Rice was substituted at half-time in Miami, with Eze replacing him in midfieldGettyRice missed two days of training leading up the match in Miami but still managed to take his place in the starting lineup on Saturday night.Rice has struggled with fatigue following a lack of rest from his Premier League-winning season, and has been experiencing a neural issue in his hamstring and lower back.However, Thomas Tuchel revealed what happened exclusively to talkSPORT following the game, stating: “I wanted to have Bukayo [Saka] on the field to finish it. I was not happy with Noni’s performance.“It was just a one-on-one and we wanted to get a bit more offensive. I took the decision when we were 1-0 down.“I didn’t want to take it back just because of the goal. I wanted to send the signal that we become more offensive. So we needed to take one midfielder off.“We knew that Declan was struggling. He gave a green light to continue maybe until the next water break, but then I thought if we go to 120 minutes and I don’t have Elliot on the field, we will get into trouble with substitutions later.“So we took a hard decision and took Declan off then, which paid off because Elliot could play the full 120, otherwise we would have been in trouble.”Will Declan Rice start against Argentina?Rice has started five out of six England games in North America, only missing the group stage match against Panama.He is expected to be available for squad selection against reigning world champions Argentina despite the ongoing concerns.The 27-year-old missed two training sessions due to a sickness bug following the Round of 32 win over Mexico, leaving England’s medical staff to manage his workload.Declan Rice is expected to be passed fit for England’s match against ArgentinaGettyThe FA doctors decided he was only allowed to play 45 minutes in Miami, with the intense heat having a real feel temperature of 44C.Rice appeared drained as he walked past journalists following the victory.During his gruelling campaign for the Gunners, he played a total of 55 matches across the Premier League and the Champions League.However, the Arsenal midfielder has now recovered following the win over Norway and appeared to train fully on Monday morning at England’s training base.Who else is injured?Ezri Konsa battled through the demanding heat conditions in Miami, as the Aston Villa defender was forced off before the final whistle with Tuchel describing the issue as cramp rather than a serious muscle injury.England will monitor the 28-year-old but, as it stands, he will be available to face Argentina.There may be a tactical dilemma regarding where to fit the centre-back in the team, as he started the quarter-final out of position at right-back.Henderson was still supporting the squad, helping with training drillsGettyReece James received a positive boost as he returned to action against Norway after missing previous matches with a hamstring issue.The Chelsea captain has suffered a long list of recurring muscular setbacks throughout his career, meaning the England medical team is having to manage his minutes carefully.Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson continues to recover from a wrist injury and will not be available for the remainder of the tournament, despite continuing to be named among the substitutes.His appearance on the bench is due to how important Tuchel views his leadership in the dressing room.Finally, Bukayo Saka‘s 75-minute outing against Norway leaves him in pole position to start on the right-wing for the World Cup semi-final.