Thomas Tuchel has explained why he took Declan Rice off at half time during England’s 2-1 win over Norway.
The Three Lions are through to the World Cup semi-finals with their victory at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, but they needed extra time to eke past the Scandinavians.
Jude Bellingham notched a brilliant brace to send them into the last four, where they will face either Argentina or Switzerland.
There had been question marks over Rice’s fitness ahead of the quarter-final, with the Arsenal star struggling with a lower back and hamstring problem ahead of the 3-2 win over Mexico in the last 16.
This week, the midfielder had been suffering with a virus that had kept him bed-bound for several days, but he had recovered in time to be thrown into Tuchel’s starting XI.
However, he was withdrawn at the interval, replaced by club-mate Eberechi Eze, while fellow Arsenal men Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke traded places.
Rice had spent “most of the time in bed” trying to get over his illness in the lead-up to England’s clash with Norway in Florida.
Tuchel, the former Chelsea manager, revealed that he had already made up his mind to replace Rice at the break, and Bellingham’s equaliser in first-half stoppage time did not change his thinking.
"It was neither [illness or injury],” he told BBC Sport.
“We wanted a more offensive change. We knew Declan would not last 90 minutes, nor 120 minutes, so we took him off."
England’s next match will be in the last four against Argentina or Switzerland at the Atlanta Stadium in Georgia on Wednesday.
