Arsenal Get Crucial Injury Updates on Rice, Saka, and Madueke's Return Dates

England head coach Thomas Tuchel suggested that Arsenal's trio of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke would only be absent for a short period after being released from international duty once it was determined that the danger of aggravating their injuries was "way too big."

Madueke had to be substituted during England's friendly against Uruguay after a collision in the first half, while Saka and Rice never even featured on the pitch. The latter pair only linked up with the national squad after the Wembley match before being swiftly sent back to their club following a medical evaluation.

Five additional players also departed England's squad over the weekend, and Tuchel was careful to note: "Everyone will be out for quite some days but not dramatically."

Regarding Saka and Rice specifically, Tuchel stated: "We had an assessment after the match and none of them were able to stay and get any minutes, so we released them, of course."

Madueke is a greater source of concern following the circulation of photos showing him hobbling away wearing a knee brace. Tuchel suggested the winger's "feeling" was "slightly better" than those images implied. Nevertheless, the German tactician cautioned: "He will be out for some days."

Arsenal's England players have simply mirrored a broader pattern of withdrawals across the squad, with as many as 10 Gunners returning early from international duty due to various injuries. Some pointed looks have been directed toward Mikel Arteta as a result.

Tuchel Defends Committment of Arsenal Trio

Arsenal's widespread international departures have drawn comparisons to Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson's era, a manager who famously prioritized club commitments over international ones. Arteta holds nowhere near the same level of influence as arguably the greatest manager in history, and Tuchel was eager to "get the narrative straight" when it came to his England players.

"[Rice and Saka] had a medical assessment," the Three Lions manager firmly told reporters on Monday. "They wanted desperately to play—to just get the narrative straight—wanted desperately to be involved. But it just made no sense to take this risk.

"If it would have been maybe the last game of the season, we would have kept them and tried everything, but in this moment of the season, it did not make sense. The risk for making it worse was just way too big. They were both in discomfort, clearly in discomfort, when we did the medical assessment. So it made absolutely no sense to stay."

Saka and Rice were not the only ones choosing caution over participation during this international break.

Arsenal's Injury Exodus in March 2026

Arsenal's absentees can be clearly split into distinct categories. There is no doubt about Eberechi Eze's legitimacy, as a calf injury forced the creative midfielder to sit out last weekend's Carabao Cup final. Reports suggest the summer signing could remain on the sidelines until late April, potentially missing both legs of Arsenal's Champions League quarterfinal against Sporting CP as well as the pivotal Premier League clash at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

Jurriën Timber was also unable to participate in the Wembley showpiece due to an ankle issue that had been bothering him for several days. Ronald Koeman initially included him in the Netherlands squad before concluding he had not fully recovered. This has become a recurring theme.

William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Leandro Trossard were all excused from international duty in March following vague, minor injury assessments.

Piero Hincapié featured from the start for Ecuador against Morocco in Madrid on Friday and appeared to complete 77 minutes without issue before being sent home for the conveniently ambiguous purpose of "medical and imaging tests." Martín Zubimendi was limited to just a 13-minute substitute appearance for Spain before reporting "discomfort in his right knee."

Arsenal resume their campaign with an FA Cup quarterfinal against Championship side Southampton on Saturday before heading to Lisbon for the opening leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Sporting. While the St Mary's fixture may offer Arteta a chance to ease his returning players back in, he will require his strongest lineup for the Portuguese trip. Sporting have won 18 of their last 20 home matches across all competitions, including the 5–0 demolition that ended Bodø/Glimt's European adventure.