The fitness struggles of Rice and his teammates highlight the growing physical and mental toll on elite players who have already surpassed thousands of minutes of competitive action this term.
Reflecting on the situation, Tuchel stated: “Disappointed, but not with the players, but the fact that we want everyone in good spirits and health. It's the reality of the season, the end of March, reality of players in European matches, more than one competition, all the cups going on. It's the reality of it. Players who had 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 minutes, we gave them a rest. More minutes than the complete last season.
"The players needed and deserved the mental break from football. We could see the energy with which they came back into camp. A new environment for them to go back and perform. We want them to play well for their clubs. It's our last chance before we go to America. It's disappointing. I'm not upset with the players; everyone was desperate to come. They want to be around the group. It's a reality, we have a strong team tomorrow. A full squad to select from, everyone is available, 21, 22 outfield players, some fresh legs. Excited for tomorrow.”