Harry Kane has revealed that Declan Rice is still "struggling" with injury, after the Arsenal midfielder personally contacted him to explain his withdrawal from the England squad.
Rice was one of five players to drop out on Monday ahead of Nations League matches against Spain, Czechia and Croatia. The Arsenal midfielder has dealt with a number of niggling injuries over the past year, including what he described during the World Cup as "neural pain".
In November 2024, Kane spoke of his disappointment when nine players withdrew from interim manager Lee Carsley's final squad. Now, almost two years on, the five dropouts from the first camp since the World Cup have again raised questions about the perceived importance of club football over international football.
Speaking to reporters at St George's Park on Wednesday, Kane said: "I've spoken about this before and I don't want to make it a big thing. I know the guys, I've spoken to the coach and the player, and they've decided. Look, everyone has their own situation. I know how tough the summer was and I know especially in the Premier League how gruelling that schedule is. I'm in a different situation now where I have the winter break and I have moments to recharge and refresh. Some of the players don't get that. I spoke to Dec, and I know Dec goes far and beyond for the club and country, so I know how much he gives and I know he's been struggling for a while with his issues. So someone like Dec has to get himself sorted and get himself fresh, and he has big games for club, big games for country, coming up."
Kane continued: "There are situations where you've got to do what you've got to do, and that's between the coach and the player. From our point of view, I think the togetherness that that we have, I don't think that will shake through people not being here right now."
Chelsea's Cole Palmer was also among the five to drop out, with the club citing "load management".
Source: www.standard.co.uk — Read the original article
Leave a Comment