Declan Rice has insisted that he is 'good as gold' despite being substituted late in England's 2-1 victory over DR Congo, alleviating concerns over his fitness for the round-of-16 match against Mexico. The 27-year-old midfielder hobbled off in the 89th minute, replaced by John Stones, shortly after Harry Kane's second goal secured the comeback in Atlanta.
Rice's injury history and recovery
Rice missed England's previous group-stage match against Panama with a calf injury and has also dealt with back and hamstring issues this tournament. However, he downplayed the latest scare, attributing it to the extreme conditions. "It's what happens when you play in 30-degree heat I suppose," Rice told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Tough game. Give it everything and bodies been through a lot in that match. Time to recover and go again." He confirmed: "I'm fine. Good as gold."
England's comeback win
England fell behind in the seventh minute when Brian Cipenga beat Jordan Pickford at his near post. The Three Lions struggled to break down a resilient DR Congo defense until Kane scored twice in the 75th and 86th minutes to turn the tie. Rice was moved to right-back before the comeback, as Djed Spence struggled against Cipenga. If Reece James remains injured, manager Thomas Tuchel may keep Rice in defense.
"It's a knockout game," Rice said. "They've got through a tough group and it was never going to be easy. You can never underestimate opposition as a neutral, as a player because they have quality and can hurt you at any given moment and they did. But other than that I think we had so many chances. Their goalkeeper, credit to him, he had an absolute worldie. Harry Kane, inevitable, scoring them goals. It was a deserved win but made a bit more hard work than we should've done. The main thing is knockouts we win and that's what we done."
Upcoming clash with Mexico
England now face co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, situated 2,240 metres above sea level. Mexico have never lost a World Cup fixture at the venue, with only two defeats in 89 competitive matches there. England will aim to become the third team to conquer the Azteca, following Brazil and Argentina. Rice is expected to be available for the match on Monday.
