Another international break with fixtures against supposed minnows and what do you know, multiple withdrawals from the national team.
It’s truly astonishing that whenever England play teams that are expected to not really provide too much of a problem to get past, clubs either ensure that their players don’t travel, or the players themselves end up leaving camp before the matches are played.
The Mirror report that Rice has left St. George’s Park with an ‘illness,’ however, it’s entirely convenient that he should have that now.
What better way to get some well-earned rest.
Though it sounds harsh, these types of things never seem to occur when there’s a big game to be played.
Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and James Ward-Prowse are also out, meaning that Gareth Southgate has a smaller pool to choose from in this particular break.
If things go according to plan, their absences won’t matter on this occasion, but perhaps someone at the FA should take a look at the data and see if there’s a pattern emerging with injuries and illnesses.