England boss Thomas Tuchel have reportedly confirmed that 11 players will postpone joining the most recent squad.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James Garner were among the unexpected additions to Tuchel’s expanded 35-man group for the March friendly at Wembley against Uruguay and Japan.
Shortly after, Tuchel told reporters that 11 players, including captain Harry Kane, would not feature in the first friendly against Uruguay.
Instead, “nine or ten” will depart the camp as eleven well-known faces show up to face Japan.
Tuchel Confirms 11 Players Will Miss England’s First Friendly Match
According to the Evening Standard, when asked for the names of those who are delaying joining, Tuchel said: “From Friday evening to Saturday morning, 11 players will then join us in camp and we will release some players to have a group of 21 or 22 outfield players plus goalkeepers.”
He added: “It’s no surprise … Dean Henderson, Dan Burn, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, O’Reilly, Eliott Anderson, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Kane and Bukayo Saka.
“These guys have played 3,500 minutes, some 4,000 minutes. More important than the pure number of minutes is some of these guys have played more minutes than the whole of last season.
“All of these players have contributed in September, October and November. They have credit with me. To give them a break mentally and physically, we will benefit from it.”
“I am happy and excited to be back,” Tuchel said. “This March camp is a unique one. We have already qualified, and our players are at a crucial stage in their club seasons.
“It’s the last chance to impress and compete for a spot. That is why we have spilt the squad.”
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