Bukayo Saka is pushing through the discomfort of an achilles injury, as highlighted by England’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, who pointed out the need for careful management with the World Cup approaching rapidly.
The Arsenal star met up with the England squad in West Palm Beach on Saturday after being granted an additional week off following his participation in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Tuchel extended a similar break to fellow Arsenal players Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke.
However, the situation looks less promising for Saka compared to his teammates. He was taken off in the 83rd minute of the PSG match, which ended in a penalty shootout loss for Arsenal, a scenario that typically would see him on the pitch throughout such a critical game.
In March, Tuchel remarked that both Saka and Rice were playing at about 70% after withdrawing from a friendly against Japan, indicating they had been experiencing discomfort for an extended period. Currently, while Rice has returned to full fitness, Saka continues to face challenges.
“Declan is at full fitness, while Bukayo is still in the process of recovery, managing discomfort as the season wraps up,” Tuchel explained. “We are focusing on his development and care during training. Declan, Ebs, and Noni are all at 100%.”
“Bukayo is not quite there yet. He’s missing some aspects, particularly in terms of consistent training. Arsenal has been very attentive to his situation, and we will follow a similar approach. He is currently unable to participate in every training session throughout the week and then compete.”
Tuchel added, “Arsenal brought him back at the end of April, and he made an immediate impact. They, along with Bukayo, decided to allow him to play through his pain, even though it meant he couldn’t train fully during the lead-up periods. I believe it’s unlikely that Bukayo will start and finish every match from here on out.”
Tuchel mentioned that Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford could fill the right wing position, but Madueke remains his primary option in that role. “Clarity is crucial; players need to know their competitive landscape,” he noted. “We aim to minimize experimentation during the tournament.”
England is set to face Costa Rica in their second and final warm-up match in Orlando on Wednesday before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas the following Wednesday. Tuchel faces several significant choices for his starting lineup, with the decision between Rogers and Jude Bellingham in the No 10 position standing out. Nevertheless, Tuchel is eager for the media to shift focus away from Bellingham’s starting status.
“We have ample evidence that we can secure victories without Jude, and that’s the narrative that should take precedence,” Tuchel stated. “Jude is with us and in exceptional form, but we must refrain from fixating on individual players. Jude cannot win this World Cup by himself; that’s simply not feasible. Victory will come from our collective effort.”
“I won’t engage in that kind of discourse. If you in the media want to do so, that’s up to you. We have Harry [Kane], Declan, Jude, Morgan, and Bukayo Saka among our ranks. We possess numerous talented players, some of whom may find themselves on the bench.”
“This tournament is lengthy, and the players chosen for the match against Costa Rica, as well as those selected for Croatia, may not be the same for every game. They must recognize that not all will start simultaneously, yet they can still play crucial roles in matches as substitutes. While they may feel frustrated or disagree with my decisions, acceptance and support for their teammates are essential.”
England secured a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in Tampa during their first warm-up match, which served more as a training exercise, with Tuchel rotating different lineups in each half. He plans to give certain players between 60 to 70 minutes against Costa Rica, providing insights into his starting lineup for the clash with Croatia.
However, the upcoming game against Costa Rica may not present the challenge Tuchel initially anticipated. Following a failure to qualify for the World Cup, the Central American nation dismissed their coach, Miguel Herrera, in November, replacing him in March with Fernando Batista, who is now overseeing a transitional phase and is expected to utilize several developing players against England.
“Initially, we aimed to face a back four in the New Zealand match and a back five against Costa Rica,” Tuchel mentioned. “However, the change in coaches last November means the new manager does not employ a back five anymore. So, we must adapt to this new reality! Our goal is to progress from the match against New Zealand, which was what it was, and I expect noticeable improvements in every aspect of our performance moving forward.”
