Is Declan Rice ill? Did he miss England training, will he play against France in World Cup 2022 quarter final

England midfielder Declan Rice was absent from training due to illness just three days before the Three Lions’ huge World Cup quarter-final clash with France.

Rice has been an ever-present in the England team throughout the course of the tournament and he has featured in all four games for Gareth Southgate’s side. The West Ham United star has emerged as a key player for the Three Lions in recent years and has been capped on 38 occasions since 2019.

The 23-year-old also played a defining role in helping England reach the European Championship final for the first time in their history last year.

England face a challenging test in their next game against reigning world champions France and will need to be at their best to have any chance of progressing to the semi-final of the competition. France have an array of talented players across the team - particularly in attack where they are blessed with an attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Grizemann and Oliver Giroud.

Rice has been a key part of England’s success in the tournament so far and he has played a vital role in defensive midfield by helping England achieve three consecutive clean sheets.

But is Rice likely to feature in the huge quarter-final clash? Here is everything you need to know.

Is Declan Rice ill?

Declan Rice was absent from England’s training session on Wednesday through illness just three days before the game against France. While Newcastle striker Callum Wilson was also ruled out of training with a minor injury.

Rice has been a key figure for the Three Lions since 2019 and only England captain Harry Kane has featured in more games during the last three years than the West Ham star.

Who are the potential replacements for Declan Rice?

If Declan Rice is unavailable for the game then it is possible that Gareth Southgate will switch the formation back to the 5-2-3 which we have seen in recent tournaments such as Euro 2020 and World Cup 2018. It would mean that Kyle Walker would move to a three man centre back partnership and Kieran Trippier or Trent Alexander Arnold would fill in at right back.

However, the 4-3-3 formation has served England well so far this tournament and Southgate does have a number of different options in central midfield who can fill in for Rice if needed.

Kalvin Phillips

The most like-for-like replacement for Rice in the England squad is Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The 27-year-old midfielder completed a move to Pep Guardiola’s side in the summer for a fee in the region of £40 million. Phillips has been a consistent performer in the last few years and was a key member of the Leeds United team over the last two years.

Phillips has great defensive work rate and is a commanding presence in the midfield. He was seen as a senior figure in the dressing room for The Whites and was described by fans as one of the most important players under Marcelo Bielsa’s time at the club.

The Yorkshire born midfielder has translated this form on to the international stage in the past and played a key role in England’s run to the final in Euro 2020 while forming an excellent and effective partnership with Declan Rice. Phillips is a player that Southgate thinks highly of and he was awarded the England’s player of the year award in 2020/21.

However, despite impressing for the Three Lions - Phillips was a surprise selection in the squad due to his recent injury record. Phillips has featured in just one Premier League game since joining Manchester City and has barely kicked a ball for his new club due to injury.

James Maddison

A much more attacking minded option would be Leicester City midfielder James Maddison.

The 26-year-old has been on the fringes for most of the tournament so far and is single minute of football in Qatar 2022. Maddison has made just one senior appearance for the Three Lions so far.

However, Maddison does offer a key threat going forward and he is also an established set piece taker who can take a good corner or score from a free kick. Maddison has been a key performer for an out of sorts Leicester team this season - scoring seven goals and making four assists.

Mason Mount

Mason Mount started both of England’s opening two games in the World Cup. The Chelsea midfielder enjoyed a great performance against Iran in the opener and looked great going forward, however he struggled to replicate that form against USA in a 0-0 draw.

Since then Mount has been limited to a place on the bench for England in this tournament. The 23-year-old is also a more attacking alternative to Rice and is known for his ability to score goals from midfield.

Mount has scored just two goals so far this season but did fire in an impressive 11 goals from midfield last season. Mount has also proven himself at a high level and helped Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021.

Conor Gallagher

England’s final central midfield option would be Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Gallagher has made just four appearances in total for the Three Lions and has largely been a fringe player over the course of the Qatar campaign so far. The 22-year old enjoyed an excellent breakout year whilst on loan at Crystal Palace last year and scored an impressive eight goals from midfield, but he has struggled to hit those same levels for Chelsea this season and has been a bit part player for The Blues so far.

Will Declan Rice play against France?

England were handed a huge boost in training on Thursday and team mate Kalvin Phillips confirmed that Declan Rice has returned to training ahead of the game against France.

If he has fully recovered from his illness then he would be expected to retain his place in the starting lineup.