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England head coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed that Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka will have his workload carefully monitored at the World Cup, following months of playing through a physical complaint.
"Bukayo is still working his way back, playing through discomfort toward the end of the season, clearly being managed while still performing at a high level—but he's not yet at 100%," Tuchel admitted ahead of Wednesday's final pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica.
"Bukayo simply isn't there yet. A few things are still missing... consistent training sessions. Arsenal took excellent care of him and were very mindful of his condition, and we'll follow a similar approach. Right now, he's unable to complete every training session throughout the week and then play. He will continue to be managed.
"Arsenal brought him back [from injury in late April] and he was immediately impactful. Then both Bukayo and Arsenal made the joint decision to let him play through the pain and discomfort, even when full training during the week wasn't possible.
"I think it's highly unlikely that Bukayo will start and play the full 90 minutes in every match from here on out."
How Can England Cope Without Healthy Saka?
An Achilles problem sidelined Saka in April, though he was absent for only two weeks before returning to contribute to Arsenal's Premier League title challenge. Despite his impact on the field, it was evident the winger was not fully fit, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta doing his utmost to give Saka rest whenever possible.
Interestingly, Arsenal's most natural cover for Saka also happens to be England's most obvious alternative.
"We have Noni [Madueke] who competes with him," Tuchel confirmed, noting that he aimed to build his squad with two genuine options for every position.
Since earning his England debut in 2024, Madueke's international career has struggled to gain momentum. He has netted just once for the national side and missed a significant portion of this year's fixtures through injury. With only five appearances under Tuchel, Madueke may not be the German coach's first-choice alternative.
"We have Morgan [Rogers], we have Rashy [Marcus Rashford], who is playing on the right wing for Barcelona," Tuchel added.
"There are options, and it's my job to figure out the right combinations—but clarity is the most important thing. Players need to know where they can compete, and hopefully we won't need too many experiments during the tournament. Clarity is key."
Saka remains England's most potent weapon, and it's clear he is willing to step up when called upon. Tuchel will likely look to protect the 24-year-old in less demanding matches, with the aim of having him fully available for the knockout rounds.
England's opening clash against Croatia is undoubtedly the most challenging group stage fixture—Ghana and Panama should pose far less of a threat to Tuchel's squad—so it wouldn't be surprising to see Saka feature in the first game before being rested ahead of the knockouts, should things go according to plan.