Coach Thomas Tuchel said Bukayo Saka will receive special care during the upcoming training week and will likely only start for England in the final group stage match against Panama, as the coaching staff continues to be cautious with the Arsenal star’s Achilles heel injury issue.
Thomas Tuchel and the English Football Association’s (FA) medical team are strictly controlling Bukayo Saka’s playing time. The 24-year-old forward encountered a heel issue in the final 2 months of the recent Premier League season, a season in which Arsenal were crowned champions.
Sharing about his condition, Saka said the injury has now improved significantly compared to March. However, in the 4-2 victory over Croatia on Monday, he was only brought onto the pitch from the 72nd minute. That also caused Tuchel to signal that he will not risk using this player from the start in the clash against Ghana next Tuesday.
Speaking after the win against Croatia, the German tactician said: “Bukayo is ready and he will increasingly reach a better state. When we enter the final match of the group stage, that will be the appropriate time. He performed very well in yesterday’s training session with situations handling the ball in tight spaces. It all just depends on whether the match takes place in an open, high-speed game or not.”
With Saka not yet reaching his best physical condition, his Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke is predicted to continue taking charge of the right wing in the match against Ghana. Madueke had an impressive World Cup debut against Croatia. The 23-year-old player earned the penalty that helped England open the scoring, while also creating many other dangerous chances. For most of the first half, he was the Three Lions’ most prominent attacking spearhead.
Nevertheless, Tuchel admitted he is facing personnel problems that are not easy at all, especially after Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford both created a positive impact from the bench. Rashford was the one who replaced Anthony Gordon before scoring the goal to seal the 4-2 victory for England.
When asked if those performances made him rethink the starting lineup, Tuchel replied: “Certainly. All 4 wingers are like that. They are competing at the highest level, especially over the past week. We have had 10-vs-10 practice matches, finishing, attacking, and defending combination drills. Everyone is competing with a very mutually respectful attitude, and that forces us to make difficult decisions.
But they understand that the team will need everyone. There will be times they start, and there will also be times they come off the bench and make a difference. The tournament still lasts for another 4 weeks. During that time, everyone needs to accept, adapt, and give their all. We selected this group of players because we know they can meet the requirements.”
With a dense fixture schedule at the 2026 World Cup, Coach Thomas Tuchel will likely continue to rotate the squad to ensure the best physical condition for the stars, in which Bukayo Saka is considered a strategic card for the decisive stage of the group stage and further into the knockout rounds.
