​Arsenal had the longest season of any English club last term after reaching the Champions League final when many players were already on holiday. The demanding schedule meant Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka joined the England camp for the World Cup while carrying injuries.Both players had managed fitness issues for several weeks as they played through pain to complete the campaign with the Gunners. As a result, they were not at their best physical level when they arrived with the national team.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThomas Tuchel continued to manage their minutes because they were clearly not operating at their highest level. England eventually fell short in the semifinal after Argentina defeated them, despite the Three Lions being considered among the favourites to win the competition.England had controlled large periods of the match and held the lead for a long time before late pressure from Argentina proved decisive. They will now compete for third place, although many believe they had the quality to progress further and potentially win the tournament.The fitness of Rice and Saka has since become a topic of discussion, with some questioning whether their demanding club schedule affected England’s chances. Adrian Durham said via Talk Sport:AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I just want to say something about Arsenal, here. Bukayo Saka should be a key player for England, nowhere to be seen today.“Was he actually fit? Did he say he was fit when he wasn’t fit? Have Arsenal said he was fit or not fit? It’s a wasted player at this tournament, in my opinion.“I’d also say about Declan Rice, rarely does he come off the field of play, but he’s done that a couple of times.“Yes, he’s had an illness, but has he really been fully fit? Has he been rinsed too much by Arsenal? Did they want too much from him?“They’ve got every right to play him, he’s their player, they pay him the wages.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“But if that’s going to be the case, I think Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka need to ask themselves, do they want to win something with their country or is the club the priority? It might be a question going forward.”The comments have raised further debate about how clubs manage their key players before major international tournaments and whether workloads can affect performances on the biggest stages.Rice and Saka remain important figures for both Arsenal and England, but their fitness situation has highlighted the challenges players face when balancing club and international commitments._____________________________________________________________________________________________AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CAL