Declan Rice has been a mainstay of Thomas Tuchel's England lineups since the German took charge almost two years ago.
The Arsenal midfielder has been lauded for his longevity, therefore it was concerning for England fans to see the 27-year-old limping in Boston, with strapping on his left leg following the 0-0 draw with Ghana.
Rice was not named in England's starting XI against Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, leading to speculation that the injury he suffered in England's last game was more serious than initially feared.
Is Declan Rice injured for the DR Congo clash?
During England's pre-match press conference, Tuchel did his best to allay any fears over Rice's fitness.
“[Elliot] Anderson and Rice were training today [Thursday],” the manager said. “They had minor issues after the match but they had enough time to recover.
“So everyone except for Reece James is available, and we will take the decision [on who starts the game] tomorrow.”
Jarell Quansah replaced James at right-back, while Anderson started as the sole holding midfielder in Tuchel's XI, and Jude Bellingham featured slightly deeper in order to facilitate the inclusion of Morgan Rogers at No.10.
Rice could well be in line for a return against DR Congo, however, having been rested at the weekend – and with his current injury an ongoing one.
The midfielder has been nursing this knock for the back half of the 2025/26 season, with England well aware that they would need to take precautions over the fitness of both Rice and his Arsenal colleague, Bukayo Saka.
With both players critically important to Thomas Tuchel, there is even the chance that the German plays it safe with Rice once again this week.
Aside from the issues with Rice, the Three Lions have serious decisions over who will play at right-back.
With James missing the clash against Panama and Quansah picking up an injury in the 2-0 win, Tuchel is now down to the bare bones in full-back positions, with the likes of Spence, Konsa and Chalobah options for the spot.
