England manager Thomas Tuchel speaks at a press conference (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that Bukayo Saka’s World Cup fitness will require some attention after recently playing through injury for Arsenal.
The Gunners star has just celebrated winning the Premier League title with the club, but he has not hit his stride at any point in the just-ended season.
Download the official CaughtOffSide app to get all the latest news and updates straight to your phone. above apple & Google play
Saka is a world-class attacking player who showed his worth to the England squad on this day, but Tuchel appears to be aware that he does not have a player who perfectly fits his hands.
As quoted by BBC Sport, Tuchel provided insight into Saka’s situation and his chances of participating in this summer’s World Cup in his latest press conference.
Thomas Tuchel talks about Bukayo Saka’s fitness
Coach Tuchel said, “We still need to pay a little attention to Bukayo, who was injured in March and has been injured throughout his time at the club.”
“He was available at the end of the season and did brilliantly, but he was managed between games and that’s still going on a little bit. We’re building him up.”
“We just came from training and everyone was there, including Bukayo.”
Want more catchoffside coverage? Add us Google recommended sources Add trusted news to your favorites list
What other options does England have?
If Saka ends up missing England matches, Tuchel will at least be able to call upon a number of other suitable options in the attacking midfield department.
Noni Madueke is a similar option as a left-handed winger playing on the right flank, but the Three Lions could also experiment with other players such as Marcus Rashford or Anthony Gordon.
Morgan Rodgers and Eberechi Eze are also probably versatile enough to fill in if needed, so England shouldn’t rely too much on Saka, even though it would definitely be better to have him play as many games as possible.
The 24-year-old has scored 14 goals in 48 games for England, including two at the last World Cup and one at Euro 2024 two years ago.
