Bukayo Saka Faces Ultimate Test Despite Smashing England Scoring Record
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has urged Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka to replicate his outstanding club performances when representing his country on the international stage.
Saka found the net during Thursday's convincing 3-0 friendly victory against Wales, bringing his international goal count to 13 strikes in 45 appearances and establishing himself as Arsenal's most prolific scorer in England's history.
When informed of this milestone following the match, Tuchel expressed his belief that the return should be significantly higher from a player who has surpassed that goal total in three of his previous four campaigns with Arsenal.
"How many goals has he scored for England?" Tuchel asked for confirmation. "13? One three? That needs to be higher, it's insufficient.
"He must continue progressing. I assumed it was 30, minimum, and even then I would have declared it inadequate, because I'm never content. He poses such a danger for Arsenal in the world's most challenging league, so why wouldn't he replicate that at international level?
"We have the right role for him, he possesses the mindset, the endurance, the ability, everything required to excel as a top international player, and that's what he must demonstrate. We can only motivate him to make an impact, as he did today. In the next match, he must attempt to duplicate that performance."
Saka Feeling Good After Injury Return
Saka has endured a challenging beginning to the campaign with Arsenal following a hamstring problem that kept him out of three matches across all competitions. Mikel Arteta's cautious approach to his recovery, having witnessed a similar hamstring setback affect the winger in March, has restricted Saka to only five starting appearances this season.
"I began this campaign by sustaining an injury, which really affected me, but I'm beginning to feel strong again," he shared with the media.
"I'm still not at my peak sharpness but I'm starting to feel confident again and I've found the net in my last three outings so I'm pleased with that progress and want to maintain this momentum.
"I've been absent from many England matches, particularly under Thomas's leadership, and I hadn't scored for some time either, so to return and find the back of the net is an incredible sensation and one that really excites me."