Thomas Tuchel Says Bukayo Saka Is Not 100 Per Cent Ahead Of World Cup

England manager Thomas Tuchel said Bukayo Saka is still not at 100 per cent as the World Cup looms, describing the Arsenal winger as “still getting there, playing through discomfort at the end of the season”.

“Thomas Tuchel says Bukayo Saka needs to be carefully steered back to full fitness as England head into a World Cup where they must "dare to dream"”

BBC

Tuchel told a news conference that Saka is “not able to do every training session through the week and then play” as he is managed step by step after an Achilles injury in March.

BBC

The BBC reported that Tuchel said England will assess Saka and the rest of their squad before deciding who starts the final warm-up match against Costa Rica on Wednesday (21:00 BST).

England’s preparation includes a warm-up against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday and an opening World Cup match against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June, with Tuchel saying they will give players “60, maybe some 70 minutes” in that run-out.

In the same build-up, Tuchel said “We will make this decision in the afternoon” as England aim to keep Saka available while increasing intensity ahead of the tournament opener.

Tuchel said England will give players 60 to 70 minutes against Costa Rica, telling talkSPORT that “We will give players 60 to 70 minutes to play and be ready for Croatia.”

On selection, Tuchel maintained that he does not know whether the line-up against Costa Rica will affect the starting XI for Croatia, saying “I don't know. I don't know because it makes no sense.”

FOX Sports

talkSPORT also reported that the No. 10 role is up for grabs between Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham, with Tuchel saying “both of them give us a lot of quality” and that they “can also play together”.

The BBC added that Tuchel made 11 changes at half-time in Saturday’s 1-0 win against New Zealand, and that he will give some players a longer run-out before the Croatia opener on 17 June.

Tuchel’s approach was framed as careful workload management, with the BBC quoting him saying England have “two more matches to play” before hopefully staying healthy for Croatia.

Beyond Saka’s fitness, Tuchel addressed the broader tournament stakes by insisting England are “not the favourites” to lift the World Cup at the end of July, pointing to history and the need for luck and focus.

“England boss Thomas Tuchel says Bukayo Saka’s fitness is being carefully managed with the start of the World Cup just around the corner”

Hayters

Tuchel said “We see ourselves as competitors and challengers” and argued that belief and hard work are required, while also stressing that “We can't be distracted. It's hard enough to be focused without being distracted.”

The BBC reported that FIFA confirmed Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will not take part in this summer's World Cup after he was denied entry into the USA on Monday.

In the same BBC account, Tuchel said he was grateful to the Football Association for letting him focus on football despite “the growing number of political issues that have engulfed the build-up to the tournament.”

With England’s first game against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June, Tuchel said they will “hopefully we all stay healthy and have the full availability for Croatia,” tying the immediate warm-up decisions directly to the opening match.