Thomas Tuchel defends Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka after Arsenal duo withdraw from England squad before Japan clash

England manager Thomas Tuchel has jumped to the defence of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka after the Arsenal pair withdrew from the Three Lions squad ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Japan. Despite fans and pundits questioning the timing of their exit, the German coach insists he has full confidence in their commitment to the national team. Rice and Saka were among 11 players that Tuchel left out of last week's 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley, with the coach intending to bring them back into the fold for the following clash against Japan. On Saturday, though, it was announced that t... [3002 chars]