Declan Rice was seen holding an ice pack to his hamstring after being substituted in England’s win over DR Congo.The Arsenal midfielder was taken off in the final minutes of the Three Lions’ 2-1 comeback victory in Atlanta, after appearing to suffer from cramp.Rice immediately sought out an ice pack for his hamstring after coming off against DR CongoShutterstock EditorialRice was replaced by John Stones, and took his place on the bench as Thomas Tuchel‘s side looked to see out the game in injury time.After falling behind in the seventh minute, Harry Kane‘s late double was enough to fire the Three Lions into the round of 16.And while the team were successful in closing out the final moments, Rice looked to be suffering on the sidelines as it all unfolded.Worrying picturesPictures from the clash show the 27-year-old applying an ice-pack to his hamstring, whilst wearing a pained expression on his face.The Gunners star can also be seen in conversation with a member of the Three Lions’ medical team, which may spark concern among fans.This isn’t the first time this summer that Rice has been forced off with a hamstring issue; the midfielder also limped off during England’s tournament opener against Croatia.He later revealed that he has been suffering from nerve pain in his hamstring since December.But his fitness woes didn’t stop there, with Rice then sustaining a calf injury during England’s second group game against Ghana.This forced him to miss the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Panama in their final Group L clash, but he was restored to the starting line-up for the round of 32 tie against DR Congo.England fans will be sweating on the fitness of Rice ahead of their next match on Sunday nightShutterstock EditorialThe Arsenal star had been on the pitch minutes earlier to celebrate Kane’s stunning winnerGettyHowever, the Premier League winner was unable to get through his latest match without another flare-up of his hamstring issue.Prior to his withdrawal against DR Congo, Rice had deputised in the unfamiliar position of right-back after Djed Spence was taken off, in what has become a problem area for England.With Reece James and second-choice full-back Jarrell Quansah both ruled out through injury, Tottenham’s Spence started in the role.But Spence was then substituted on 70 minutes, with Rice taking his place in a move that had been mooted beforehand.What is Declan Rice’s hamstring issue?After his early withdrawal in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia sparked concern, Rice revealed his hamstring woes were nothing new.The ever-present star explained that he has been battling nerve pain in the area since December, which he put down to an ‘obscene’ playing schedule for club side Arsenal.Rice has been beset by injury concerns at the World CupGettyRice said after the Croatia win: “I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time.“Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that, it was all behind-the-scenes stuff, but it was a smart decision.“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70‑minute match.“But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it, and I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”Ahead of the DR Congo clash, Rice shed more light on the ongoing issue, which he revealed has to be managed carefully.He said: “It [the nerve pain] is strange because you can just feel it like sitting there.Rice is at the World Cup off the back 55 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, where he tasted Premier League gloryGetty“It’s not a pain that happens [just] during football. You could be sat at home and you’d feel a little pain shoot up your leg.“I’ve managed it in a good way, trying to get my rest when I can and prioritising games. When you play that many [club] games, you’re hardly training. It’s just: recovery, games, recovery, games.“I played the Champions League final, had a week completely off‑feet, where I did nothing, and then I got myself back into a rhythm.“The body had a little bit of a shock. That’s why I started to feel the pain a little bit [against Croatia] because towards the end [of the season] it was starting to ease off.“It’s just something I’ve got to keep managing. Once this season’s done, I’ll get my rest and I’m sure I’ll go into next season fine.”World Cup WhatsAppDon't miss an update from talkSPORT in our dedicated World Cup WhatsApp channel.Search for ‘talkSPORT World Cup’ in your ‘Updates’ tab on WhatsApp and we’ll drop the proper, unfiltered football chat straight to your lock screen—no fluff, just pure talkSPORT energy.It’s where you’ll find out all the new rules to watch out for, England and Scotland reaction and big match player ratings. Plus there will be loads of debates on the biggest talking points as Haaland, Mbappe, Kane and the biggest names in football descend on America, Canada and Mexico.