Bukayo Saka doubt for England after playing through pain for Arsenal
June 10 (Reuters) – Bukayo Saka is still recovering from an Achilles injury and needs to be carefully managed ahead of the World Cup, England manager Thomas Tuchel said.
The 24-year-old forward sustained the injury in March, but played through the discomfort to feature for his club Arsenal towards the end of the season to help them secure their first Premier League title in more than two decades.
Saka also appeared in the Champions League final against Paris St Germain, which Arsenal lost on penalties.
“Bukayo is still getting there, playing through discomfort at the end of the season, but obviously managing it and playing at a high level, but still not at 100%. He is the one we are building and taking care of in training,” Tuchel told reporters on Tuesday.
“Some things are missing… consecutive trainings. They (Arsenal) took very good care of him and were very aware of it… and we will do a little bit the same.
“They brought him back against Fulham when the season and title was on the line, and he was straight away decisive.
“And then they decided together, Bukayo and Arsenal, to let him play through his pain and discomfort, even if it was not possible to train the whole week in the build-ups.”
Saka’s fitness could be key for England’s World Cup ambitions. He played in the 2020 and 2024 European championships and scored three goals in four appearances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
England kick off their campaign on June 17 in Dallas with a repeat of their 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia.
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Tuchel does not rank his team among the favourites for the World Cup but believes they are in good shape heading into the tournament and can “dare to dream” about lifting the trophy.
Most bookmakers have England among the leading title contenders but Tuchel reckons the six-decade drought since the nation’s solitary triumph in 1966 counts against them. The German likened England’s quest at the June 11 to July 19 tournament to a player without a previous title turning up at the Wimbledon tennis championships.
“We’re not the top favourites. We can’t be, because we haven’t won it for so, so many years,” he told reporters in Florida on Tuesday on the eve of England’s final warm-up against Costa Rica.
“There are proven winners in the tournament with more success in recent tournaments. So, these are the favourites, and we compete for the trophy.
“It’s just like if you … go to Wimbledon, you have never won it … (you’re) not the favourite. But you can win it, of course, and we want to win it, but we know what it takes, and it takes also a calm mindset and focus on our steps.”
Tuchel is taking charge of a team at the World Cup for the first time but said his experience of Champions League campaigns in club football had taught him a lot about how to approach tournament football.
“It is my opinion and my conviction that once you reach the quarter-finals, you can go all the way,” he added.
“I think it’s important not to try to digest this whole tournament in one piece, and to focus on what we can influence. At the moment, this is prep camp and then we will take care of the group stage.
“Make sure that you go through your group, and don’t get distracted by overthinking. Once you (are) in a quarter-final, then you can go all the way and then the belief will be there, but there has to be a lot of work done.
“We’re exactly where we want to be and want to take the next step tomorrow.”
Tuchel said his qualification of England’s chances did not reflect any doubts in his own mind, or in the camp, about the potential of the squad.
“I have belief. We all have belief,” he said. “We all have a dream, but it comes with responsibility and hard work and commitment and discipline, and sometimes it comes with disappointment and setbacks.
“This is all included, but … we dare to dream and it’s important.”
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