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England midfielder Declan Rice was left out of the Three Lions' starting line-up for their final Group L encounter at the 2026 World Cup.

Rice has been a consistent presence in Thomas Tuchel’s England selections since the German tactician assumed charge nearly two years ago.

The Arsenal star has earned praise for his endurance and consistency, which made it worrying for England supporters when the 27-year-old was seen limping in Boston after the goalless draw with Ghana, with strapping visible on his left leg.

Rice’s absence from the starting eleven against Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey has fuelled speculation that his injury from the previous fixture might be more serious than initially thought.

During England’s pre-match media briefing, Tuchel sought to calm concerns regarding Rice’s condition.

“[Elliot] Anderson and Rice trained today [Thursday],” Tuchel stated. “They picked up minor knocks after the last match but had sufficient time to recover.”

He further added, “So everyone except Reece James is available, and we’ll make the final decision on the starting line-up tomorrow.”

Jarell Quansah has been drafted in to replace James at right-back, while Anderson takes up the role of the lone holding midfielder in Tuchel’s setup.

Jude Bellingham is expected to operate slightly deeper to accommodate Morgan Rogers in the No. 10 position.

According to FourFourTwo, Tuchel may have evaluated Panama’s threat level and concluded that fielding Rice—who might not be at full fitness and could risk aggravating his injury—would not be prudent.

England nevertheless possess ample squad depth to overcome a Panama team that has suffered defeats in both of their previous Group L encounters against Croatia and Ghana.