Thomas Tuchel emphasized that Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were eager to play for England against Japan, despite having withdrawn from the squad ahead of Tuesday’s friendly.
Rice and Saka observed from the stands during England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Friday, joining Tuchel’s group later than most teammates to allow them time to rest.
They were among five players to withdraw on Saturday, alongside Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke.
Rice, Saka, and Madueke are part of a group of 10 Arsenal players who have recently pulled out from their national teams. This has sparked speculation that Arsenal may be encouraging its stars to prioritize the club’s treble bid over international friendlies.
Arsenal currently leads the Premier League by nine points and remains in contention for the Champions League and FA Cup, chasing their first English league title since 2004.
However, Tuchel insisted that Rice and Saka were keen to feature for England in their final home friendlies before the World Cup in June and July.
“They joined, had a medical assessment, wanted desperately to play, to just get the narrative straight. Wanted desperately to be involved,” Tuchel told reporters on Monday.
“The risk for making it worse was just way too big. They were both clearly in discomfort when we did the medical assessment, so it made absolutely no sense that they stayed.”
‘I’m not upset’ , Tuchel admitted the withdrawals were frustrating but noted that the situation was understandable given the demands on players toward the end of a long season.
“It’s disappointing, but I’m not upset with the players. I’m not angry with the players,” he said.
“I got the feeling that everyone was desperate to come. Some of the injured players even stayed to do their treatment here, start their treatment here.
“That just shows me they want to be around the group.”
