The omens were against Declan Rice from the off – a sickness bug had him confined to bed for three crucial days leading up to the World Cup quarter-final showdown with Norway. The England midfielder, who was instrumental in Arsenal's Premier League title triumph last season, was far from his usual self as he took to the pitch at the Miami Stadium.
Rice's battle against the debilitating illness was a brave one, but it ultimately took its toll – he visibly struggled in the stifling heat and was substituted at the start of the second half for Arsenal teammate Eberechi Eze. England went 1-0 down to Andreas Schjelderup's opener before Jude Bellingham levelled on the stroke of half-time and then sealed the win in extra time.
Tuchel pulled no punches when explaining his decision to withdraw Rice, stating: "Knowing he'd struggled for three days, confined to bed, I knew 90 minutes was a tall order. And with the possibility of extra time looming large, I didn't want to waste another change later down the line – so we took Declan out earlier, just to conserve our options." The manager also revealed that other players, including Ezri Konsa, had been hit hard by the heat, suffering cramps and hamstring issues.
Rice's illness added fuel to an existing fire – he'd already been managing a nagging neural issue affecting his hamstring and lower back. This underlying condition was severely exacerbated by the sickness bug, making his presence on the pitch all the more remarkable. The midfielder has been an ever-present for England in this tournament, starting five of their six matches – only missing out against Panama in the group stages.
Now, with Norway defeated and a semi-final spot secured, England will be turning their attention to Argentina, who saw off Switzerland in their quarter-final. The stage is set for a mouth-watering showdown between these two giants, kicking off at 20:00 BST on Wednesday, 15 July – live on the BBC.