Arsenal star Declan Rice had an interesting game for England in their win over Congo at the World Cup.
The Three Lions were very poor for large parts of the clash. They conceded an early goal and struggled to break the opposition down.
It took a late brace from Harry Kane to win the game, and Rice was involved in the buildup of one of those goals.
Apart from that, however, it was not a great performance from the Arsenal man.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Declan Rice didn’t showcase his main quality during England vs Congo
Declan Rice is nicknamed ‘The Horse’ at Arsenal.
Oleksandr Zinchenko came up with that name many years ago, and the reason behind that is the Englishman’s running power.
One of the highlights of Rice’s game every single week is how much distance he covers and how quickly he can do that at any stage of the game.
However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not notice that quality from the Arsenal midfielder during England’s win over Congo on Wednesday.
The legendary Swede said on Fox Sports: “‘We can discuss about details and that, but today I saw England suffering physically.
“I didn’t see them run like before, especially Declan Rice. His quality is to run, but it is like he was struggling. Not only him, also the other ones.”
Rice was moved to right-back late in the game after Djed Spence was taken off, and the former looked much better in that role.
Declan Rice is not fully fit
When Rice is fully fit, he runs more than anyone else.
It’s not just movement across the pitch; it is the intensity he does it in that makes him such an important player for Arsenal and England.
Ibrahimovic was right – that seemed to be missing in England’s latest win, but it is important to understand that Rice has been dealing with an injury for a long time.
Even after he was substituted, the Arsenal star was seen icing his hamstring, which clearly shows that he played the game through pain.
That explains why he did not look like his usual self.
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