England have played their last match before Thomas Tuchel names his World Cup squad and some stars may be fearing for their place on the plane following an underwhelming 1-0 defeat to brilliant Japan at Wembley.
Without the injured captain Harry Kane and with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka also unavailable, Tuchel’s side lacked inspiration in attack and were cut apart by Kauro Mitoma’s first-half opener, with sharp Japan slicing England open on the counter-attack after Cole Palmer was dispossessed.
Palmer and Phil Foden lasted less than an hour and given the options at England’s disposal at No 10, neither can be guaranteed a place in Tuchel’s World Cup squad when he names his squad towards the end of the season.
“For sure it hurts, it's painful always to lose and to lose at home hurts,” Tuchel said. “But we need these matches. We tried stuff and we need to learn.”
Follow all the latest updates from Wembley below
England v Japan | Latest score updates
- FULL TIME! England suffer Wembley defeat as Japan win friendly 1-0
- Japan secure famous win but England stars now face nervous pre-World Cup wait
- Thomas Tuchel on 'painful' defeat: 'It's a matter of making a statement and being brave'
- Tuchel hits back at criticism over England’s woes without Harry Kane
- Report: Palmer and Foden hurt World Cup hopes as England slump to defeat by Japan
Thomas Tuchel on pressure: 'I don't want to engage in that'
08:00 , Jamie BraidwoodSpeaking to ITV last night, Thomas Tuchel refused to discuss whether the England is weighing heavily on some players.
“No, I don’t want to engage in that discussion because it’s very clear what we want to do and play and focus on principles and the doing of what it means. It comes with pressure, noise, playing for England. That’s just how it is.
“We need to see how the players adapt to it. We tried, we have to learn from it. The players will play a lot of football in two months and we’ll be ready.”
Guehi keeps calm: 'We need these tests as a team'
07:30 , Alan SmithMarc Guehi, speaking to ITV, tried to remain positive after England’s 1-0 defeat to Japan.
“Obviously disappointing. This is why we play these games, we need these tests as a team,” the captain for the night says. “These games help us to build, be better and improve and go into the next stage and be ready.
“We have to be critical of ourselves. It’s important to have these games to see where we’re at. Most important thing is to stick together. It’s been a positive campaign. Important to stick together, improve and get better.”
Thomas Tuchel: 'It will be scary to watch games this weekend'
07:00 , Will Castle“From now, any muscle injury can mean that a player misses out [on the World Cup. The next eight weeks, I’m concerned and I hope that everything goes well for the players, that they stay healthy.”
Thomas Tuchel: 'I am not looking for a second Harry Kane'
06:30 , Will Castle“We can win games without Harry, we will win without, we have won without Harry. But it’s easier to win with Harry, of course.
“We didn’t change the system against Uruguay and we played with a number nine. Today we played with just a different number nine with Phil Foden and later with Dom Solanke.
“But I am not looking for a second Harry Kane; there is just not second Harry Kane.”
Thomas Tuchel admits Harry Kane absence 'disrupted' England
06:00 , Will Castle“In the absence of Harry Kane, we don’t have the same threat. Bayern Munich, in the absence of Harry Kane, they don’t have the same threat. No team in the world has the same threat. It’s just normal. Top teams rely on top players and top nations rely on top players.
“On top of it, Harry dropped out so we lost him not only as a player but also as a personality. It’s always a bit disrupting if the captain leaves the last training after 15 minutes and is out of the squad.”
Maguire's header cleared off the line
05:30 , Jamie BraidwoodGet it up to the big men? England’s tactics when chasing the game perhaps revealed what we may expect in the summer, as Tuchel turned to set-pieces.
Harry Maguire went closest as his header was cleared off the line.
Marcus Rashford has England's first shot on target
04:30 , Jamie BraidwoodElliott Anderson’s shot aside (which I think took a tip off the goalkeeper onto the bar), England’s first shot on target came in the 78th minute through this effort from Marcus Rashford.
Jarrod Bowen then almost turned in as England piled on the pressure.
England survive when Japan should double lead
03:30 , Jamie BraidwoodThis should have been 2-0 to Japan. Ritsu Doan did brilliantly to skip past Nico O’Reilly - but he should have squared rather than go for goal himself!
Elliott Anderson rattles crossbar
02:30 , Jamie BraidwoodAs England looked to respond, Elliott Anderson thumped the crossbar with a driven shot from the edge of the box. It was as close as England would come in the first half.
Japan's brilliant counter-attack
01:30 , Jamie BraidwoodThis was a brilliant move from Japan; quick and incisive, two qualities England missed all evening. Cole Palmer will not want to see this again after he was squeezed out of possession inside the Japan half.
Brilliant defending keeps England out
00:30 , Jamie BraidwoodEngland actually started fairly well, but Japan were up for it from the start - as this defending inside the penalty box showed.
Japan celebrate a famous win
00:00 , Jamie BraidwoodIt’s been a brilliant week for Japan as they celebrate victories over Scotland at Hampden and England at Wembley, their first ever victory over the Three Lions.
It’s England’s first defeat to an Asian opponent, meanwhile.
Japan will be joining Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia in Group F of the World Cup and they could be a dark horse.
Thomas Tuchel hits back at criticism over England’s woes without Harry Kane
23:39 , Will CastleThomas Tuchel has highlighted the challenges in England’s task to find a quality striker alternative in the absence of Harry Kane and insisted it is normal for the “top teams to rely on top players”.
Talismanic captain Kane was a late withdrawal from England’s last outing before Tuchel decides his World Cup squad, with the Three Lions subsequently looking toothless in a dismal 1-0 home defeat to Japan.
Thomas Tuchel hits back at criticism over England’s woes without Harry Kane
Ian Wright on England's performance without Harry Kane: 'We didn't lay a glove'
23:30 , Jamie BraidwoodFormer England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright, speaking on ITV:
“I know the team will be different [at the World Cup], but you have to look deeply into it because no Harry Kane, no focal point, we didn't look at all like we could lay a glove on them.
“We didn't look like doing that at all.”
Thomas Tuchel: 'It's a matter of making a statement and being brave'
23:00 , Jamie BraidwoodThomas Tuchel, speaking to ITV:
“For sure it hurts, it's painful always to lose and to lose at home hurts, hurts a lot. I think we got punished for not a lot, one counter-attack taken in the first half.
“But we need these matches. It's a tough opponent. We had several players, not available, so new formation again, we tried stuff and we need to learn.
“We need to put it into perspective. It's not the end of the world. It's never nice, and we don't like it.
“It’s not a question of false 9 or normal 9, it's a matter of of performing and making a statement and winning one-on-ones and and being brave.
“We can do better, but it's a well drilled team that we played against and we had a new formation, new players.”
Kane conundrum
22:32 , Will Castle at WembleyThis had been billed as Thomas Tuchel’s final tune-up of his top stars before World Cup selection. Instead, like against Uruguay, the test of Japan centred around an audition. Please welcome to the stage Phil Foden, playing the role of Harry Kane.
Going purely off his club form, struggling for minutes at Manchester City, there would usually be serious questions over whether Foden will get a seat on Tuchel’s Dallas-bound plane this summer. Tuchel, however, has repeatedly made the point that he sees him as an alternative to his free-scoring captain.
He stuck to those words by slipping Foden into a false-nine role upon Kane’s late withdrawal - who became England’s eighth injury casualty this international break. The FA has led us to believe that Kane’s problem is minor, but what if the next one isn’t? And what if the next one falls between the dates of 11 June and 19 July?
How do England survive their worst-case scenario without Harry Kane?
22:30 , Will Castle at WembleyThomas Tuchel is without a clear crisis plan if talismanic captain Kane gets injured at the World Cup - and England’s send-off loss to Japan proved that Phil Foden is not the answer.
How do England survive their worst-case scenario without Harry Kane?
Expectations dialled down
22:07 , Lawrence Ostlere at WembleyThe last match before a major tournament has little material impact. This is a friendly that will soon be forgotten. But these games do affect expectations around the England side, they set the temperature, and this was a night when England’s prospects of winning the World Cup were dialled down a few degrees.
Palmer and Foden hurt World Cup hopes as England slump to defeat by Japan
More questions, few answers
22:05 , Alan SmithTuchel, asked if he has been left with more questions following this window, says: “For sure it has. It’s painful always to lose. To lose at home hurst a lot. We got punished for not a lot, one counterattack, but we need these matches. We knew it was a tough opponent, several players were not available and a new formation.
“We need perspective ... It’s not the end of the world ... We can do better but it’s a good team we played against.”
Kane missed
22:03 , Alan SmithTuchel said it was normal for England to suffer without Kane, whose injury status remains unclear.
“Why would Argentina not rely on Messi or Portugal not rely on Cristiano Ronaldo?” Tuchel told ITV. “It’s totally normal. We saw it a bit. We lacked a punch in the last 20 metres in both matches.
“Today in the first half we played way too narrow. Second half had more width and more dynamic on the wings, we took more risk and had chances but couldn’t convert.”
Squad places
22:01 , Alan SmithTuchel also swerved a question around how many places in the 26-man squad he is undecided about, particularly at full-back.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. I need to think and reflect and we’ll take decisions. We have a lot of options and will arrive with good full-backs.”
Tuchel on pressure
21:59 , Alan SmithSpeaking to ITV, the England manager refuses to discuss whether the shirt is weighing heavily.
“No, I don’t want to engage in that discussion because it’s very clear what we want to do and play and focus on principles and the doing of what it means. It comes with pressure, noise, playing for England. That’s just how it is. We need to see how the players adapt to it. We tried, we have to learn from it. The players will play a lot of football in two months and we’ll be ready.”
Guehi keeps calm
21:47 , Alan SmithMarc Guehi, speaking to ITV, tried to remain positive after that.
“Obviously disappointing. This is why we play these games, we need these tests as a team,” the captain for the night says. “These games help us to build, be better and improve and go into the next stage and be ready.
“We have to be critical of ourselves. It’s important to have these games to see where we’re at. Most important thing is to stick together. It’s been a positive campaign. Important to stick together, improve and get better.”
On the false nine experiment: “It was the right idea to be honest. It was down to us to find gaps and a way through but we couldn’t do that. Important to stay positive and stay behind one another and back each other.”
And asked if some players were anxious with a place in the squad on the line, he added: “I wouldn’t say so. It’s very difficult playing against teams who are well drilled and want to prove a point when they come here.”
FULL-TIME! England 0-1 Japan
21:38 , Alan SmithThat’s not an ideal send off for England, who are booed by the home fans who remain at Wembley. Those jeers are soon overtaken by a huge roar from the significant number of Japan supporters in attendance. This has been a statement win for them, the first Asian team to beat England at the national stadium, but it gives Tuchel so much to think about.
England 0-1 Japan
21:36 , Alan Smith90 + 3 min: This one is winding down and, really, this has been another suboptimal evening for England, regardless of Japan looking quite good.
England 0-1 Japan
21:34 , Alan Smith90 min: We’re into the start of four added minutes.
England 0-1 Japan.
21:33 , Alan Smith90 min: This one is met by Burn. It’s blocked and Rogers smashes a rebound way over.
England 0-1 Japan
21:32 , Alan Smith89 min: Solanke wins another corner off Seko. Garner comes over to deliver. Burn and Maguire are up. The latter wins it again but his header is blocked and Hall’s rebound is saved well by Suzuki for, you guessed it, another corner kick.
England 0-1 Japan
21:30 , Alan Smith86 min: Another corner that is directed towards Maguire. He gets to it again but it’s not enough to cause panic.
England 0-1 Japan
21:27 , Alan Smith83 min: Bowen’s delivery is deep to Maguire. He heads goalwards but Sugawara clears off the line. Moments later England win another corner.
England 0-1 Japan
21:25 , Alan Smith82 min: Hall, who has been more positive, wins a corner. Before it can be taken, Maguire and Burn are brought on from Konsa. Both will immediately have a chance to score...
England 0-1 Japan
21:24 , Alan Smith80 min: More Japanese changes. Nakamura, Ito, Kamada are off and Machino, Sugawara and Y Suzuki are on.
England 0-1 Japan
21:21 , Alan Smith78 min: Rashford finally brings a meaningful save out of Suzuki with a firm, low, right-footed effort . Japan’s goalkeeper spills it and Bowen diverts a decent rebound opportunity wide. That’s the home side’s first shot on target.
England 0-1 Japan
21:15 , Alan Smith72 min: And a couple of Japan changes. Tanaka and Suzuki are on, Mitoma and Doan’s work for the evening is done.
England 0-1 Japan
21:14 , Alan Smith71 min: Garner and Rashford are on for Mainoo and Gordon, neither of whom acquitted themselves brilliantly.
England 0-1 Japan
21:13 , Alan Smith69 min: Japan remain pretty decent on the break and Nakamura unveils a couple of stepovers before cutting inside Livramento and bending not too far wide. Oh great, not for a hydration break.
England 0-1 Japan
21:11 , Alan Smith68 min: The England substitutes have offered a little more impetus but it’s still not outstanding. Hall sends a cross straight to Suzuki. Bowen, meanwhile, is clattered in the back of his head by Seko and wins a free kick not too far from halfway.
England 0-1 Japan
21:09 , Alan Smith65 min: Nevermind. Rogers sends his attempt off the wall. Japan make their first changes with Ito replaced by Seko and Ueda off for Ogawa.
England 0-1 Japan
21:07 , Alan Smith64 min: Now here’s a chance. Rogers, fed by Anderson, is fouled by Kamada about two yards outside the box. Half the team has a conflab near where the free is set to be taken before the options whittle down to Rogers and Bowen.
Tuchel frustrated
21:06 , Lawrence Ostlere at WembleyMorgan Rogers just played a poor pass straight to a Japanese player and Tuchel threw his arms up in the air in frustration, not for the first time tonight. England’s forward players are doing their best to play themselves out of the World Cup squad.
England 0-1 Japan
21:03 , Alan Smith59 min: Here comes the reinforcements. Hall, Bowen, Solanke, Livramento are all on. Palmer, Foden, O’Reilly, White are off. Let’s see how that changes things for a faltering attack and flimsy defence.
England 0-1 Japan
21:00 , Alan Smith57 min: A couple of England corners amount to little of note and it looks like several changes are imminent.
England 0-1 Japan
21:00 , Alan Smith55 min: Japan continue to make England’s defence look deeply unconvincing. Ueda comes close to meeting an Ito cross from the right, White does well to get rid of the danger.
England 0-1 Japan
20:54 , Alan Smith50 min: Doan does well to get past O’Reilly having received a neat crossfield pass but Pickford is there to save from a tight angle. The Japan forward should have crossed instead but that is another big warning shot.
England 0-1 Japan
20:52 , Alan Smith48 min: England dominate possession for a couple of minutes and Rogers’ deep cross earns a corner that Palmer sends right into the hands of Suzuki.
Restarted! England 0-1 Japan
20:48 , Alan Smith46 min: No changes at the break as Japan get us going again.
HALF-TIME! England 0-1 Japan
20:33 , Alan Smith45+1 min: After a minute of added time, for the drinks’ break, the whistle goes for a first half that leaves England with more questions and few answers.
England 0-1 Japan
20:31 , Alan Smith44 min: A wasted opportunity for England now as Palmer sends a free in from the right with all the big men up. Instead of crossing, however, he tries to score an audacious goal... the ball sails harmlessly high and wide. TV footage, again, cuts to an unimpressed Tuchel.
England 0-1 Japan
20:28 , Alan Smith41 min: Ueda goes close to making it 2-0 with an effort deflected off the woodwork and out for a corner. Actually, replays show that he may have been offside so if the shot went in VAR would have likely intervened to rule it out, maybe.
England 0-1 Japan
20:27 , Alan Smith40 min: Another brief lull in play. England remain too passive here, Japan more switched on. Sure, it’s only a friendly that will be quickly forgotten if the World Cup goes well - but this has not been a half to fill fans with optimism.
England 0-1 Japan
20:23 , Alan Smith36 min: O’Reilly makes his first notable attacking contribution with a cross from the left following a nice dribble. It’s good stuff from the left-back, although Kamada reads it well to head away before Foden can get on the end of the delivery.
England 0-1 Japan
20:21 , Alan Smith34 min: Anderson hits the bar with a curling right-footed effort from the edge of the area. The referee gives a corner, perhaps thinking that Japan ‘keeper Suzuki got a touch, when it should have been a goal kick. No matter, the set-piece amounts to nought. But that is an improved bit of play from England.
England 0-1 Japan
20:18 , Alan Smith30 min: Gordon sends a floaty delivery in that causes no trouble. Down the other end Sano sends an inviting opportunity high and wide over the bar.
England 0-1 Japan
20:15 , Alan Smith29 min: Following a water break - practice for the World Cup, sigh - England try to find a new gear. Anderson pings a crossfield pass to Rogers but it is miscontrolled slightly and now Palmer is trying to make amends for losing the ball by winning a foul close to the corner flag.
Sloppy and sluggish
20:12 , Lawrence Ostlere at WembleyGreat goal, well deserved. Palmer was sloppy on the ball but his teammates didn’t help much, in fairness. Anderson and Mainoo were sluggish to shut down the counterattack in the first instance and the latter didn’t do enough to cut off the cross to Mitoma.
GOAL! England 0-1 Japan (Mitoma)
20:11 , Alan Smith23 min: This is a very nice goal from Japan’s point of view but a bit of a nightmare for England. Kaoru Mitoma starts and finishes it after nicking the ball from Palmer deep in Japan’s half. They counter rapidly and the ball is eventually worked from left to right for Mitoma to side-foot home first time.
England 0-0 Japan
20:06 , Alan Smith19 min: Now Japan tap it around from left to right and back again without facing too much pressure before a long punt forward is collected by Konsa. It is worked forward to Palmer, whose lofted through ball is directed to no-one in particular. The TV pictures cut to Tuchel, sitting uncomfortably on a drinks box in the style of Bielsa.
England 0-0 Japan
20:02 , Alan Smith16 min: Japan drop deep and England pass it across the back at a tame enough pace while waiting for a gap to open. When it does Palmer finds Gordon with a firm, low pass and his one-touch attempt to find Foden drifts away.
England 0-0 Japan
19:59 , Alan Smith12 min: Better from England. Foden wins a free kick down the left. Palmer delivers and after some ping pong it is cleared only far enough to allow White to drive down the right and his cross wins a corner. A couple of half-chances, from Guehi and Palmer, are blocked. Still, it’s the first clear sign of attacking intent after a sticky start.
England 0-0 Japan
19:56 , Alan Smith9 min: Better from England as they work it patiently down the right with Rogers, Palmer and White involved - though the move does not end with much of note in the final third.
Tuchel unhappy
19:54 , Lawrence Ostlere at WembleyA little bit sloppy from England so far on the ball, and Tuchel has just lost it with his centre-backs after they both stood off and allowed Japan’s striker, Ayase Ueda, to bring down a long ball unchallenged.
England 0-0 Japan
19:53 , Alan Smith5 min: Not the ideal start for the hosts as Japan’s high press twice contributes to some worryingly slack defending - first a hasty challenge from Ben White allows a cross in from England’s right, then a mix-up down the left sees Marc Guehi hesitate before the danger is finally cleared.
Kick-off! England 0-0 Japan
19:46 , Alan SmithAnd we’re off with England, in their latest new home kit, getting us underway from right to left as we watch. Japan are in dark blue shirts, socks and white shorts.
Almost time
19:42 , Alan SmithThe teams are out, they are lining up for the pre-match formalities and we’re moments away from England’s last game before heading across the Atlantic.
Viewers in the UK can watch the game for free on ITV1. The friendly will also be streamed on ITVX.
Tuchel speaks
19:39 , Alan SmithThomas Tuchel, speaking on ITV, says “We need a good performance because it’s a good opponent. We need to be active, smart, get our press right. Japan are relentless. We need a complete performance to win.
On Kane, he adds: “It’s a minor injury out of basically nothing. He had to step out of training yesterday after 15 minutes. No chance to be involved. He is being further assessed now. It’s serious enough not to play and we await further assessment.”
Tuchel then confirms Foden will start as the false nine.
Positional puzzle
19:20 , Lawrence Ostlere at WembleyThe official line-ups at Wembley list Foden on the left wing and Anthony Gordon as England’s striker, despite Foden wearing the No 9 shirt tonight. Cole Palmer is pictured on the right wing, with Morgan Rogers as the No 10. But ITV’s graphic has Foden up front and Gordon on the left, which I think is more likely. Let’s see…
Foden's big opportunity
18:55 , Lawrence Ostlere at WembleyWith Harry Kane absent, this suddenly feels like a big night for Phil Foden. Thomas Tuchel used him as a false nine in November and it would seem Foden is back in that role tonight.
Given Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham are top of the pecking order in the No 10 position, Foden’s best route to North America this summer might be as an extra versatile attacker in what will be a 26-man squad, and he’s got an opportunity to prove himself here.
Guehi's honour
18:50 , Alan SmithIt’s a big night for Marc Guehi too, who becomes the 129th different player to captain the men’s national team.
The 129th captain of the #ThreeLions.@MarcGuehi13 👏 pic.twitter.com/5mcqVY9dBM
— England (@England) March 31, 2026
Confirmed Japan team
18:48 , Alan SmithJapan team to face England: Suzuki; J. Ito, Watanabe, Taniguchi, Nakamura, Sano, Kamada, Doan, Mitoma, H. Ito, Ueda.
'Last thing Tuchel would've wanted'
18:43 , Will Castle at WembleyHere’s Will Castle inside Wembley Stadium:
“Harry Kane misses out for England tonight due to injury, the last thing Thomas Tuchel would’ve wanted in this last chance to fine tune his big stars before World Cup selection. Less than half this team look like his preferred starters.
“It looks like Phil Foden is in the false-nine - Tuchel living up to the talk that he sees the Man City star as a potential backup for his captain.”
Kane absence explained
18:35 , Alan SmithEngland say that Harry Kane is being “rested” as a “a precaution having picked up a minor issue in training, but remains with the squad receiving further assessment.”
Confirmed England team
18:34 , Alan SmithEngland team to face Japan: Pickford; White, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Mainoo; Palmer, Rogers, Gordon; Foden.
Your #ThreeLions to take on Japan! ✨ pic.twitter.com/nYTgiTwgvH
— England (@England) March 31, 2026
Why England v Japan is not just another pointless Wembley friendly
18:30 , Mike JonesEngland take on Japan at Wembley on Tuesday evening without several key players, in what is their last match before the manager names his 26-player squad for North America.
Why England v Japan is not just another pointless Wembley friendly
Tuchel's major decisions - No. 3
18:15 , Alan SmithJames’ right-back deputy
It’s so often the way the cookie crumbles. Just a few days after Kyle Walker announced his international retirement, England’s first-choice right-back went down with a hamstring injury. Any second thoughts, Kyle? Reece James, one of the first names on the England teamsheet under Tuchel, will miss out on Friday’s squad. It is not James’s first injury; in fact, in the last seven seasons, it is actually his 23rd different injury-related absence.
As such, whether James recovers or not, it is essential that Tuchel has a plan B for the summer.
Tuchel's major decisions - No. 2
18:05 , Alan SmithRice’s midfield partner
Tuchel has previously said Kobbie Mainoo has “the experience, the power, the quality, the talent” to be part of his squad but was lacking the time on the pitch to be considered for selection during Ruben Amorim’s time in charge of Manchester United.
Now he is back in contention, can he be the man to partner Declan Rice in the middle?
Tuchel's major decisions - No. 1
17:50 , Alan SmithWho joins Kane in attack?
Harry Kane will arrive at the World Cup as the world’s best No 9, but who figures behind him is Tuchel’s biggest puzzle. During their eight-game qualifying campaign, 11 different players occupied the wide or attacking midfield positions but only one featured in every match: Morgan Rogers.
The No. 10 battle will see Aston Villa’s star man up against Jude Bellingham, though out wide the fight for a spot looks far less clear.
England's early team news
17:40 , Mike JonesThomas Tuchel has sent eight players from his original squad packing - Stones, Wharton, Madueke, Rice and Saka due to injuries, while Tomori, Ramsdale and Calvert-Lewin are back with their clubs too.
But in the remaining 27-man roster is the nine-player core group that watched from the stands on Friday.
Captain Kane is back in contention, along with Dean Henderson, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Elliott Anderson, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon, with England set for sweeping changes.
Predicted England XI: Pickford; White, Konsa, Guehi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Mainoo; Palmer, Rogers, Gordon; Kane.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka among eight players to leave England camp ahead of Japan game
17:30 , Miguel DelaneyEngland have confirmed that Arsenal pair Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are among the eight players who will be dropping out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad ahead of Tuesday’s friendly against Japan.
Rice and Saka will be returning to the Premier League leaders for “medical assessment”, having only joined up with the England camp on Friday as part of a group of 11 players who had been rested for the 1-1 draw with Uruguay.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka among eight players to leave England camp
England's captain
17:20 , Mike JonesEngland’s Harry Kane has scored 10 goals across his last 10 international appearances, while he could score 2+ goals in successive matches for the national team for the first time since November 2021 against Albania (3) and San Marino (4).
Ito on target
17:10 , Mike JonesJapan’s Junya Ito has four goal involvements across his last three matches (one goal, three assists) and could score in successive matches for the national team for the first time since September 2023 (run of three).
Thomas Tuchel names the four centre-backs ahead of Harry Maguire in England pecking order
17:00 , Mike JonesEngland boss Thomas Tuchel has appeared to deliver a big blow to Harry Maguire’s World Cup chances by insisting he is still at least the fifth-choice centre-back.
Maguire looked to have strengthened his case for being on the plane to North America in the summer as he delivered a commanding performance on his return to the national team setup in Friday’s 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay.
Tuchel names the four centre-backs ahead of Maguire in England pecking order
Japan's European conquest
16:50 , Mike JonesJapan are unbeaten in in their last seven matches against European nations in all competitions (W6 D1), winning each of their last three against Germany, Turkey and Scotland.
Indeed, they’ve won four in a row twice before in May 2009 and February 2013.
Can England beat Japan?
16:40 , Mike JonesEngland have won just two of their last seven friendly matches (D2 L3), having won 12 consecutively between 2018 and 2023 beforehand.
But, the Three Lions have scored in their last 21 matches in all competitions since a 0-0 draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024.
It’s their longest scoring streak since a 32-game run between 1902 and 1910.
Thomas Tuchel ‘worried’ for Noni Madueke as England manager issues injury update
16:30 , Miguel DelaneyThomas Tuchel said he is "worried" for Noni Madueke after the winger was forced off during the first half of England’s 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay following a challenge the manager described as "on the edge".
Madueke was seen walking out of Wembley with his left knee in a brace, following a 37th-minute challenge from Rodrigo Aguirre. The 24-year-old Arsenal forward was immediately substituted after treatment. There are as yet no details as to the extent of the injury.
Madueke injury update: Tuchel ‘worried’ for Arsenal winger after England blow
What injuries do England have?
16:20 , Mike Jones“There is nothing more to add from me as a coach. I'm not a medical expert but we had an assessment after the match and none of them were able to stay and get any minutes, so we released them,” admitted Thomas Tuchel about players such as Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke hwho have been released from the squad.
“They had a medical assessment, wanted desperately to play, wanted the desperately to be involved. That made just no sense to take this risk.
“If it would have been maybe a 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.
“And the risk for making it worse was just way too big.”
Jordan Henderson criticises England fans who ‘don’t even know why they are booing’ Ben White
16:00 , Mike JonesEngland midfielder Jordan Henderson has vowed to support Ben White after the Arsenal defender was booed by fans during the friendly draw with Uruguay.
White had the rare ignominy of being booed by the Wembley crowd after putting England 1-0 up.
The 28-year-old was making his first England appearance since he walked out of the 2022 World Cup squad due to “personal reasons” and then made himself unavailable for selection for the remainder of Sir Gareth Southgate’s reign.
Henderson criticises England fans who ‘don’t even know why they are booing’ Ben White
Trafford looking to learn from Pickford and other England keepers
15:50 , Mike JonesOne of the big reasons that James Trafford is enjoying his time in the England camp is the coaching set up and learning from his fellow teammates.
“The manager’s brilliant," he said. “He’s obviously been really successful throughout his career, and you can see why he’s been so successful. He’s doing great things with us that we’re always looking to build on.
“And Pickers [Jordan Pickford], like the other goalkeepers I’ve been with – Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and now Jason Steele —they’re brilliant. They’re great lads and obviously really talented, and they’ve all got attributes and things that I always try and learn from and take into my game to improve.”
Trafford reacts to 'dream' England debut
15:40 , Mike JonesJames Trafford played in goal for England during the 1-1 draw with Uruguay in what was his first international appearance for the senior side.
Speaking after that game he revealed that it was a ‘dream’ start to his England career.
The 23 year old said: “It’s a dream come true, really. It was brilliant, a great feeling. I really enjoyed myself, and it was an extremely proud moment and proud day for me and my family and friends.
“It was brilliant getting a cap [from Tuchel after the match]. I had a lot of them from every age group until this one, and yeah, it was a brilliant moment.”
England vs Japan
15:25 , Mike JonesEngland are unbeaten in their three games against Japan, beating them 2-1 in both June 1995 in the Umbro Cup and in a May 2010 friendly, while they shared a 1-1 draw in June 2004.
An Asian nation has never previously beaten England in 10 attempts (D4 L6) with this being England’s first game against an Asian team since a 6-2 win over IR Iran in November 2022 at the World Cup.
England's tricky opponents
15:10 , Mike JonesDuring his time in charge of England, Thomas Tuchel’s side have never beaten a team ranked inside the World’s top 20.
Japan, tonight’s opponents, are 18th and will prove to be use opponents ahead of the World Cup this summer.
Junya Ito’s strike against Scotland last week was enough for Japan to record a 1-0 victory at Hampden Park and it would be a thrilling feat if the Asian side can replicate that result against England.
Japan are in fine form and will prove to be a true test for England’s capabilities. Can the Three Lions beat them tonight?
Japan strike late to beat Scotland at Hampden
15:00 , Mike JonesJunya Ito’s late goal gave Japan a 1-0 win over Scotland in Steve Clarke’s side’s first 2026 World Cup warm-up game.
Clarke’s players left the Barclays Hampden pitch to euphoric scenes in November after their dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark qualified them for the finals in North America but their return to the national stadium was a much more sedate event.
Which players advanced their case for a World Cup berth
14:50 , Mike JonesThe England manager was also asked which players, if any, had moved closer to being selected in the squad for the World Cup due to their peformances against Uruguay.
"They all did. I have to review it, but they all did,” admitted Thomas Tuchel.
“I liked how we played. We knew it was a difficult opponent. [Uruguay head coach Marcelo] Bielsa told me months ago that he would arrive with his best team, take it very seriously, and maybe make no changes. We were very well aware of that.
“So, I think we did good. Everyone did good. We played as a team and brought the structure to life. I liked a lot of stuff today.”
Tuchel's reflects on Uruguay draw
14:40 , Mike Jones“I'm absolutely okay with our performance,” reflected Thomas Tuchel when asked about England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay las Friday.
“I liked how we brought the structure to life. We tried and we tried, and we were the better team I think overall.
“We had some big chances from set pieces. The biggest chance was with Dominic Calvert-Lewin after 60 minutes. Then we were forced into changes –we lost Noni Madueke and Phil Foden through injuries, so it was a lot.
"Then we had a lot of new players and we changed a lot of new players, so for all that, I’m very grateful for the test and very happy with the performance.
"Competition to make the squad for the World Cup this summer is high, as the England boss reiterated prior to March international camp."
Thomas Tuchel’s England experiment yields few answers after disconnected performance at Wembley
14:30 , Mike JonesBy the time the World Cup really gets going, and Thomas Tuchel’s senior players maybe have that extra bit of energy from this week off, England might well feel the benefit of this game.
It’s hard to make a substantial list of who else did, though.
Even Ben White, who marked his return with a poached goal, gave away the penalty from which Uruguay's Federico Valverde equalised for a 1-1 draw.
Thomas Tuchel’s experiment yields few answers after disconnected performance
When is England vs Japan?
14:20 , Mike JonesEngland’s friendly with Japan kicks off at 7:45pm BST on Tuesday 31 March at Wembley Stadium.
Viewers in the UK can watch the game for free on ITV1, with coverage starting at 7pm BST. The friendly will also be streamed on ITVX.
England’s fringe players flopped on audition night. Now ruthless Thomas Tuchel will wield his World Cup axe
14:10 , Lawrence OstlereFor the past four months – the longest stretch of Thomas Tuchel’s reign without international football – the England manager has been in dad-holiday mode: booking flights, scoping out hotels, planning activities for his boys. It is the most complex World Cup in history, comprising 48 teams and 106 matches plotted across 16 host cities, a festival of logistics as much as football, and Tuchel seems like the sort of man who likes both.
But now his job gets interesting, and it gets personal. There are only 26 seats on England’s plane to the World Cup (this is, of course, not actually true – there are more staff than players these days. England will take more social media content creators than goalkeepers) and the heat is on to claim a coveted place.
England’s fringe flopped on audition night. Now ruthless Thomas Tuchel will wield axe
England vs Japan
14:00 , Mike JonesEngland players have one final chance to leave an impression on Thomas Tuchel as they host Japan in their last friendly before their World Cup squad is picked.
Tuchel’s second-stringers failed to inspire in their first audition against Uruguay on Friday, with two polar opposite moments from Ben White proving defining as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Wembley.
The German has already slimmed down his initial 35-man squad with fringe players Aaron Ramsdale, Fikayo Tomori and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all leaving the camp, while John Stones, Adam Wharton, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have returned their clubs due to injuries.
Tuchel does, however, welcome back the core group that missed the Uruguay clash, including captain Harry Kane, which may give us a better insight into what England are working with ahead of World Cup selection.
Good afternoon!
13:32 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s international friendly between England and Japan.
The game is the last one that the Three Lions will play before Thomas Tuchel names his squad of this summer’s World Cup so it represents a final chance for players to impress the England boss.
Having rested the majority of his first-choice starters for Friday’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay, Tuchel can now call upon the likes of Jordan Pickford and Harry Kane to return to the line-up for a run out before the tournament begins in June.
We’ll have all the latest updates from the England camp throughout the afternoon so stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.
