England has announced that Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are among eight players who will be leaving Thomas Tuchel’s squad ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Japan.
Both Rice and Saka will head back to their Premier League team for “medical assessment.” They joined the England squad on Friday as part of a larger group of players who had been rested during the 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice have pulled out of the England squad (Getty Images)
Additionally, Arsenal’s Noni Madueke and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton will also return to their clubs due to injuries sustained during Friday’s draw at Wembley, while Manchester City’s John Stones will leave the camp due to a calf issue.
Fikayo Tomori and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will depart after participating in the Uruguay match, along with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, leaving Tuchel with a squad of 27 players for the upcoming clash against Japan.
Meanwhile, captain Harry Kane, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Elliott Anderson, Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, and Dean Henderson will join the squad after arriving on Friday.
The England manager had previously stated his intention to adopt a different strategy for the two games, explaining that he aimed to “split” the squad for the pre-World Cup friendlies to give his core group some rest.
Arsenal’s Madueke was forced off the field after a collision, but it appears that Manchester City’s Phil Foden is fine following a vigorous tackle from Uruguay’s Ronald Araujo.
Rice and Saka had arrived at camp with the other nine late arrivals but will now return to Arsenal for medical evaluations just a day after joining the squad.
Tuchel expressed concern for Madueke, noting that the winger had shown great potential before his injury. “It’s very unfortunate and I hope it’s not a serious issue,” Tuchel commented.
(The FA via Getty Images)
After sustaining an injury during the match, Madueke left Wembley with his left knee immobilized, and details regarding the severity of his injury are currently unavailable.
“I’m worried because I believe he was going to be a key player for us,” Tuchel remarked. “He started energetically and was ready to go. It’s sad to see this happen.”
Tuchel also indicated that Stones had been close to starting but experienced discomfort with his calf right before the match. “He’s very disappointed, and I’m here to support him during this tough time,” Tuchel added.
Among the players remaining in the 27-man squad are Harry Maguire and Ben White, with Tuchel noting that Maguire is currently lower in the selection order compared to four other centre-backs. White, meanwhile, faced some boos from the crowd at Wembley.
The 28-year-old, who was making his first England appearance since leaving the World Cup squad for personal reasons, scored England’s goal but also conceded a penalty that led to Uruguay’s equalizer.
England’s 27-player squad for the upcoming match against Japan:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), Ben White (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Harvey Barnes (Newcastle), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur)