Manager Thomas Tuchel said England’s players “care” about Eberechi Eze, who was heartbroken in the penalty shootout.
Eze missed a spot-kick in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain and Mikel Arteta had to console him after Arsenal’s disastrous defeat.
Read more: Follow our England vs New Zealand blog for the latest updates on tonight’s pre-World Cup friendly.
Arsenal players Eze, Bukayo Saka, Noni Maduke and Declan Rice have been given extra time off after the Champions League to allow their bodies and minds to recover.
The incident may be the biggest blow for Eze, who missed in the shootout, but Tuchel insists his other players will ensure Arsenal’s players don’t have a hangover.
England boss Tuchel also reminded Arsenal’s national team that they had had a “great season” overall after winning their first title in 22 years and facing Europe’s best club side in the Champions League final.
“Of course it’s tough for Evs, but of course I’ll take care of it, the group will take care of him and I think the extra week they have left will be a big help,” Tuchel said.
“I’m very happy that they won the title in England. I think it took a huge weight off their shoulders and they know they did the best they could and it was a close second in the final.
“I don’t think I need to lift them up. They’ve definitely had a great season and I’m always happy to do that if necessary, but they need to know that the final will come down to one or two shots on penalties. That means the final can’t get any closer. At some point we’ve got to find a winner.”
“We once lost a final on penalties. That’s the closest we’ve come to losing, and of course it hurts. It hurts a lot to lose in an important final, but the penalty means everything was right. There can’t be a closer loss.”
Eze missed a penalty in the shootout loss to PSG last weekend (Image: Getty Images)
“But it also means you were completely on the same level as probably the best team in the world at the moment.”
Arsenal’s four-strong squad flew into West Palm Beach, where England are training at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis and Pickleball Center.
However, they are not expected to play in England’s first friendly against New Zealand, 350 miles away in Tampa.
They will be reunited with their other England team-mates when they return after the game, and Tuchel has even arranged for them to rewatch video of team meetings this week.
While Rice has played an exhausting amount of football, other players have also been on a post-season roller coaster.
This week, Saka had the premiere of a new documentary about Saka in New York, and while the other members took a break, Eze attended, and Rice posted a photo from the week’s vacation with Hollywood friend James Corden.
Declan Rice joins James Corden and former West Ham captain James Corden
Tuchel hopes his Arsenal players are well and revealed he has already been in contact with some of them to make them feel included.
Tuchel added: “I’ve seen the pictures and I’ve already heard the messages that I’m glad they’re here and that the group is waiting. We’re in good spirits so that usually helps and I think they have a good understanding of what they’ve achieved this season.”
“I thought I’d leave them alone so they can be proud of what they’ve achieved. We talked after winning the Premier League title. That was the big goal, I think that was the main goal.”
“You could tell they were proud of them and it took a weight off their shoulders. I don’t think we should go into a World Cup campaign too disappointed. I don’t think so.”
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