Thomas Tuchel breaks down worrying Declan Rice issue as England boss makes World Cup admission

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Thomas Tuchel admits England's World Cup hopes are at "risk" from burnout.

Tuchel revealed Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has been playing only at “70 percent capacity" because of injury and desperately needs a rest. England boss Tuchel insists the Football Association are doing everything possible to help the players recover but admits their plans could be undermined by a growing injury list.

Rice and Bukayo Saka returned to Arsenal with ongoing injury issues and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has seen a staggering ELEVEN players in total withdraw from international duty in the March window. Tuchel admitted he knows it is not a good look but insisted he “trusted” both players and said Rice has been struggling for weeks which will be a massive worry for Arsenal who are chasing trophies on three fronts.

Tuchel said: “It is a threat. Not the biggest one but it is a threat. It’s just a fact, fatigue. I understand the looks of it. 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 that Declan is not honest with me. I have no reason to believe Bukayo is not honest. But given the amount of Arsenal players, I understand the look.

“But they both came. Declan was even out on the pitch. He did not come and say ‘Guys, I’m going home.’ I heard there were camps where players did not even show up with boots and stuff.

“Declan is a key player, Bukayo is a key player, why would I take this risk? Of course I want them in my team, of course I want them to play tomorrow. But this is just not to the moment to push. And on top of it, I have 100 percent trust in both of them.

“I don’t think Arsenal would be happy if I said what the injury was. But he feels a discomfort since quite a while, and he’s playing through it, and he’s just now on the edge, where he thinks, ‘Does this make sense, what I’m doing here, to push through with 70 percent and push myself and push myself?’ And the same with Bukayo.”

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Tuchel confirmed Jude Bellingham - who has just come back from a hamstring injury - will also not feature against Japan but says that his decision to do split camps for the two friendlies has been fully justified.

Tuchel also believes that, despite the fears of burnout and a tough end to the season, England will get their preparations right for the summer, starting with their pre-camp in Florida before the tournament stars.

He added: “We go early to the US to spend time there and to have a pre camp that is in a more relaxed way, where we don’t have the full focus too early and have a pre-camp where it’s one training session per day but it’s open for family, friends and is more of a relaxed atmosphere.

“Players can go, can enjoy themselves and then we have the full focus when we arrive in Kansas. It just tells me we need this. It seems so trivial but it’s so important that they enjoy their football, it’s so important that they enjoy their training and their being together.

“It’s a lot on them, a lot on them (to be) on planes and buses and hotels and meeting rooms. They just spend a lot of time there. And the end of the season for most of them does not come at the end of May – it comes hopefully in the middle of July – and it is a long one.”