Thomas Tuchel expressed that it will be “scary” to follow football in the upcoming two months after witnessing injuries disrupt England’s preparations during the March international break.
The Three Lions suffered a 1-0 defeat to Japan at Wembley on Tuesday, marking their last match before Tuchel announces his 26-man squad for the World Cup. An experimental team resulted in a second unsatisfactory performance for England in four days, following a 1-1 draw against Uruguay on Friday.
Captain Harry Kane was rested as a precaution due to an injury sustained in training, while Jordan Henderson returned to Brentford just before the match, contributing to a series of fitness issues that led to the withdrawals of several players, including Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, John Stones, and Adam Wharton.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Fikayo Tomori, and Aaron Ramsdale were all removed from the extended squad after their appearances against Uruguay.
“It will be scary to watch TV this weekend and beyond, because from now on, any muscle injury could mean a player is sidelined,” Tuchel stated. “It’s one thing when players leave due to injury, which is unfortunate, but then Jordan Henderson, a key player for us in camp, is unavailable, Declan Rice is out, Bukayo is out.
“They are captains for their clubs and set the standards. And then with Harry Kane dropping out, itβs essentially the leadership group that is missing. This naturally impacts the team.
“Everyone gave their all, and from now on, while these injuries are concerning, I believe they will still be manageable within the timeframe we have to focus on club football in May and prepare for the World Cup.
“However, for the next eight weeks, I am worried, and I hope everything goes well for the players and that they remain healthy.”
England had a perfect qualifying campaign for the World Cup, winning all eight matches without conceding a goal, but have now recorded one draw and two losses against teams ranked in FIFA’s world top 20 under Tuchel.
Nonetheless, Tuchel downplayed the significance of these results against Senegal, Uruguay, and Japan, stating: “The most important thing is that we learn from it. This camp will not define us, and we have two months to process it, to take the lessons learned, to finalize our squad, and to ensure players return healthy.
“Hopefully, they stay healthy, allowing us full selection, and then we will chase our dream starting in June.”
