Thomas Tuchel: Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka tried to play for England despite risks

The Arsenal duo, who had been dealing with injuries, joined the national camp but left the next day, sparking speculation about Premier League clubs influencing player availability.

Tuchel insisted the pair were "desperate to play" but warned that the risk of worsening their injuries was too high. "They joined, had a medical assessment, wanted desperately to play, to just get the narrative straight," he said.

"But it made just no sense to take this risk. The risk for making it worse was just way too big."

Rice, who Tuchel says is around 70 per cent fit, had a training session on the pitch with Jude Bellingham before reporting discomfort. Saka completed two gym sessions to demonstrate his readiness. "Declan was even out on the pitch. He did not come and say 'guys, I'm going home'. They both came," Tuchel added.

Tuchel also stressed he trusts both players and acknowledged concerns over Arsenal's heavy representation in the squad. "I still have 100 per cent trust in the honesty of Bukayo and Declan. We did medical tests. I saw them. I have no reason to believe they were not honest," he said.

The England coach highlighted that both players' issues had been noted since Arsenal's Carabao Cup final, and insisted their withdrawals were a medical decision rather than a club-related one.

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