England head coach Thomas Tuchel has been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Japan at Wembley, with eight players confirmed to have left camp following Friday’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
Reports indicate that the departures include Arsenal trio Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, as well as Manchester City defender John Stones.
Rice and Saka left for medical assessment at their club, while Madueke departed Wembley in a knee brace after being hurt in the first half against Uruguay.
Stones had picked up an issue in training even before the Uruguay game.
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, Fikayo Tomori, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are also among the eight departures, leaving Tuchel with a revised 27-man group to prepare for the Japan fixture.
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, who also picked up a knock during the Uruguay draw, rounds out the list.
The timing is not ideal. England play Japan on Tuesday before the World Cup kicks off in June, and Tuchel had planned to use this window to finalise his thinking on his squad and starting eleven.
The German had already staggered his selections across the two friendlies, resting several first-choice players for Uruguay before integrating them ahead of Japan.
That plan now needs adjusting, given the number of fitness concerns. England face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L, opening their World Cup campaign against the Croatians in Arlington, Texas, on June 18.
