Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has attempted to play down concerns over his fitness ahead of England’s World Cup opener with Croatia, reassuring fans he is ‘ready to go’ and ‘feeling better than he has in months’.
The 24-year-old winger has been managing an Achilles problem sustained with Arsenal in March, preventing him from training on consecutive days for club or country. This left his involvement against Croatia in doubt, with Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke starting on the right for England’s final warm-up match against Costa Rica.
A week before the Group L contest, England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted Saka was still not at ‘100 per cent’ and revealed the forward’s fitness was being ‘carefully’ monitored to avoid further injury.
‘We still have to take care a little bit about Bukayo, who had an injury in the March camp and carried it through into his club campaign,’ Tuchel said before the 3-0 win over Costa Rica. ‘He was available and made himself available at the end of the season, but he was managed in-between matches and that continues a little bit at the moment, so we’re building him up.’
Tuchel confirmed that Madueke, Declan Rice, and Eberechi Eze were fully fit, while Saka also trained. ‘Everyone made themselves available. We have a full choice and need to decide who starts and how many minutes we give.’
Responding to Tuchel’s comments at a press conference, Saka said with a grin: ‘I don’t want to say anything that goes against the manager. What I would say is that between Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s medical team, and England’s medical team since March, they’ve managed me amazingly. I’m feeling better than I’ve felt in the last few months and I’m ready to go.’
Asked if he felt 100 per cent fit, Saka reiterated: ‘I’m ready to go, man.’
While keen for a strong performance against Croatia, Saka noted that a statement start was not everything. ‘In Qatar we started very sharp and it gave us confidence. But it’s not how you start… you’ve seen that with other winners. We’re focused on winning on Wednesday and taking it from there.’
Saka could earn his 50th senior England cap if selected, an achievement not lost on the Arsenal academy product. ‘I still remember my debut, how fast it’s gone. This is my fourth major tournament. I’m on 49 caps and have the potential to get 50 this summer. Not many players have done that, especially so young, so I’m proud and looking forward to the tournament.’
After a memorable club season with Arsenal, Saka stressed his focus has shifted to the World Cup. ‘Winning the Premier League was amazing. With the Champions League, it was important not to let that loss overshadow what we achieved. But now I’m here with England, trying to win the World Cup and get a second star for the country.’
