Thomas Tuchel says Bukayo Saka will be nursed through the next week of training but is unlikely to start for England until the final World Cup group game against Panama.
Tuchel, alongside the FA medical team, is managing Saka’s minutes as he continues to struggle with an Achilles injury which affected him for the last two months of Arsenal’s Premier League-winning campaign.
The 24-year-old said the problem is better than it was in March, but he only came off the bench in the 72nd minute of England’s 4-2 win over Croatia on Monday, and Tuchel hinted he is unlikely to be risked from the start against Ghana on Tuesday.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Harry Kane reveals what Thomas Tuchel said to his England side at half-time against Croatia, and what it meant to the striker to get two on the scoresheet
“Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready,” Tuchel said after the win over Croatia. “Once we get to the last game in the group it is the moment. He was strong yesterday [Tuesday] in training in small spaces. It’s just a matter of if the game is open and up and down.”
That means Saka’s Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke is likely to keep his place on the right wing. He received high praise for his World Cup debut performance against Croatia, winning the penalty which led to England’s opening goal of the tournament, and creating several other good chances. For much of the first half, he was England’s brightest attacking threat.
Noni Madueke reacts after missing a chance for England against Costa Rica
Nevertheless, Tuchel admitted he has some difficult decisions to make about who should start on the wings against Ghana, having been particularly impressed by the impact off the bench from Saka and Marcus Rashford, who replaced Antony Gordon and scored England’s fourth goal.
“Always,” the head coach responded when asked if those performances had given him something to think about.
“All four of them, the wingers. The level they are competing at was the highest level, especially in the last week. We had some 10-against-10s in training and some finishing patterns and attacking patterns and defensive patterns. Everybody is on in such a respectful way, and we had some difficult decisions to make.
“But they know that we will need them and the time will come where they will start, and the time will come where they can finish and be decisive from the bench, any time. It is now four more weeks. So in four weeks, you can swallow it and digest it and buy into it. We selected the group because we know they can do it.”
Tuchel: Taking the handbrake off is needed
Tuchel promised he will encourage his players to go full throttle with attacking football for the rest of the World Cup.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Tuchel reflects on England’s victory over Croatia and what they will need to improve for the rest of the tournament
England played some of their most exciting football for years in the second half against Croatia in Dallas, and despite admitting he has some issues to address defensively, Tuchel wants his players to continue to be positive and play with energy and freedom.
Asked whether England have now taken the ‘handbrake off’, the head coach replied: “That’s exactly what the boys did in the second half. And that’s what’s needed to be done. Nobody can guarantee the outcome, but we can guarantee the effort.”
Tuchel: Fans in the pub will love this!
England had 22 shots against Croatia, half of them on target, and they had 36 touches in the box – more than double the number of their opponents. Tuchel felt England should have scored more.
The players celebrated with supporters inside the Dallas Stadium after the final whistle to a rendition of Oasis’ Wonderwall. Videos on social media showed Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were particularly emotional as they sang along.
“It’s good and it’s rewarding and hopefully everyone enjoyed it,” says Tuchel. “And it builds the connection [with supporters].
“I had a thought in the second half – oh, the people in the pubs they will like this! I was sweating. But that’s a good watch when we created and created, and went for it and won another ball, and another second ball, and another wave. Okay, come on. And that’s why we watch in a pub all together on a big screen to get emotional, and hopefully we can transmit that.”
