Saka will keep gambling on fitness for England
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- Bukayo Saka says he is 'ready to go' for England's World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday in Dallas and will continue 'gambling' with his fitness, insisting he is feeling better than at any point since March.
- Saka has carried an Achilles injury since March, missing the March international break and seven Arsenal games, but returned to help Arsenal win their first Premier League title in 22 years.
- Thomas Tuchel has said it is 'very unlikely' Saka would 'start and finish' all World Cup matches and that he needs to 'take care' of the 24-year-old, managing Saka's game-time carefully in both club and country setups.
- Saka played 27 minutes of England's warm-up against Costa Rica and will make his 50th England appearance in the next match, while competing for the right-wing spot with Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke, whom Saka calls 'like my brother' and says he speaks to daily.
- Saka was substituted in the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain with the scores level and his performance was criticised — a judgement, he said, players must accept when they play through injury: 'people don't really care how you're feeling, they expect you to deliver.'
- Workload data underlines the concern: in 2023-24 Saka logged 59 matches, 4,756 minutes, 21 goals and 15 assists, but a hamstring tear followed — described by Mikel Arteta as an 'accumulation' injury — with 153 matches and 11,154 minutes across the past three seasons.
- Southgate's England previously managed Saka's programme to avoid unnecessary load, and Tuchel now faces the same dilemma: the winger is too important to leave out but 'too valuable to run into the ground' ahead of a tournament England need him available for 'the right' minutes.
Why it matters: England need Saka for the right moments at the World Cup, but his Achilles issue is chronic — Tuchel must balance the 24-year-old's importance (50th cap, 21 goals and 15 assists in 2023-24) against the 'accumulation' injury that already caused a hamstring tear, with 153 matches and 11,154 minutes over three seasons underscoring the workload concern.
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