England manager says Declan Rice fit for Mexico match

England manager Thomas Tuchel expects midfielder Declan Rice to be available for the team's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico on Sunday, despite the player battling significant nerve pain. Rice was substituted late in England's 2-1 comeback victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, a match in which he played through what Tuchel described as "terrible pain."

The 27-year-old Arsenal star has been managing neural pain in his hamstring and back for months, an issue that has required careful monitoring throughout the tournament. He was withdrawn as a precaution in England's opening match against Croatia, missed the group-stage victory over Panama due to a separate calf issue, but returned to start against Congo. After that match, Tuchel relayed Rice's own assessment of his condition. "He just said after the game it's not an issue, he will recover, so there is no injury. He was just in pain," Tuchel said. The manager added that Rice believes he can manage the discomfort from game to game.

Rice's versatility was highlighted during the Congo match when, due to defensive absences, he filled in at right-back for the final 12 minutes. While acknowledging the...