Ahead of November’s UEFA Nations League fixtures, Declan Rice and eight other England stars all withdrew from Lee Carsley’s squad owing to injury.
The Three Lions take on Greece on Thursday whereby they will be looking to avenge their shock 2-1 defeat at Wembley Stadium last month.
In the build up to the game, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Aaron Ramsdale and Jarrad Branthwaite all miss out. So to Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill and Jack Grealish alongside Rice.
The mass exodus saw captain Harry Kane call out the aforementioned stars. However, he didn’t go as far as naming the individuals.
Declan Rice Defended After England Withdrawal
Arsenal‘s record signing Declan Rice has come under scrutiny when it was confirmed he would return to the Gunners ahead of the Greece and Ireland fixtures. Especially when he played in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.
Friends and sources close to the defensive midfielder claim that he is genuinely injured. In spite of Kane’s recent comments.
It’s reported that he played through the pain barrier at Stamford Bridge. Even undertaking a course of injections to help with a broken toe.
Owing to the importance of the fixture against the Blues, Rice would likely have missed out altogether. It’s also claimed the England medical team knew his inclusion was very unlikely for this week.
They even went as far as telling Rice not to travel to St George’s Park to meet up with the rest of the squad. The same friends and sources stress that Rice loves representing England. No matter what Kane may think.
The Bayern Munich star gets to enjoy a break over the festive period. Whereas Rice and Premier League stars don’t enjoy the luxury.
Perhaps that is why the Three Lions record scorer needs to choose his words more wisely. In particular when it involves a teammates commitment to the cause.
