West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini is pleased with the progress of Declan Rice.

Rice came in for some criticism for his defensive error which contributed to Kosovo's second goal against England in Tuesday's European Qualifier at St Mary's.

Hammers manager Pellegrini is confident Rice has the mentality to take everything in his stride and flourish for the national side.

"Declan is a very young player, he is improving in every game he plays," said Pellegrini.

"He is only 20 years old and I think with his age it is important he plays for England and it is important for him the way he can demonstrate how he works.

"You can expect these mistakes for any kind of player. He is improving and for the moment he is doing well in that position.

"If you are 20 years old you always want to play, but we will see if he has any muscle problem. For the moment Declan must continue playing."