Tuchel has decided: England releases 8 players back to their clubs ahead of the match against Japan.
On 29 March 2026, the Daily Mail reported that Thomas Tuchel, England's head coach, decided to release eight players from the camp to return to their clubs after the latest friendly ended in a 1-1 home draw against Uruguay last Friday.
During the March FIFA window, Thomas Tuchel called up 35 England players, offering a final chance to assess the squad before announcing the roster for the 2026 World Cup finals in May, with the tournament starting in June.
England has now confirmed that 27 players will remain in camp to continue training, preparing for a friendly match against Japan on Tuesday, 31 March.
The eight players allowed to return to their clubs include Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke from Arsenal, the Premier League leaders. Rice and Saka did not play in the Uruguay game and are undergoing medical checks, while Madueke was substituted in the 38th minute due to a minor injury.
Also returning to their clubs are John Stones, a defender from second-placed Manchester City who recently recovered from injury but was hurt again during Friday's training, and Adam Wootton, a Crystal Palace midfielder who had a minor issue after coming on in the second half. The other three players' reasons for release were not specified.
- Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
- John Stones (Manchester City)
- Adam Wootton (Crystal Palace)
- Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle)
- Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United)
Players not included in the Uruguay match squad—such as Harry Kane, Marc Guehi, Niko O’Reilly, Dan Burn, Anthony Gordon, Morgan Rogers, Elliott Anderson, Ezri Konsa, and Dean Henderson—are expected to return for the Japan game.
