Thomas Tuchel has explained why Bukayo Saka was left on the bench for England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, admitting the winger was fit to play but he preferred Morgan Rogers.
Bronze medal victory over France
England ended their World Cup campaign with a bronze medal following a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in Miami on Saturday. Saka was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick as England went four goals ahead by half-time, but had to survive a huge scare in the second half as France scored three without reply.
Tuchel has faced scrutiny over his defensive substitutions in the semi-final after Anthony Gordon had put England ahead. Saka, nursing an Achilles problem throughout the tournament, was surprisingly left on the bench for the entire game against Argentina despite England needing a refresh in attack.
Saka's role in the tournament
The Arsenal winger started just three of England's eight World Cup games. After the victory over France, Tuchel was asked why Saka had not been given a more prominent role. 'He did everything right,' Tuchel said. 'I just had the feeling in the semi-final for Morgan Rogers that he would be involved in something special, and that was it. And then the game in itself demands so much, you’re forced into changes because of cramps and the flow of the game so Bukayo showed he was a key player, it was never a doubt. I was not even aware he had a hat-trick, I lost the overview of all the goal-scorers, but well-deserved credit.'
Saka was asked whether he would have liked a bigger role. 'Of course I would love to have played more but it’s too late to talk about that. I try to do my talking on the pitch and it’s done now, move on,' Saka said. When asked about his injury, he replied: 'I’m fit.'
Physical demands of the tournament
Tuchel also admitted concern over the 'physical demands' of the third-place game, as France had an extra day to recover. 'We had a brilliant first half and then a turbulent second half,' Tuchel said. 'You could see the difference of what one day makes and the difference in the schedule. We are so, so tired and drained from the last weeks. So a massive compliment and full respect, the mentality that we showed. Going through all the adversity is absolutely brilliant. I was afraid of the physical demands of the match. We know the quality and speed of France, and they have much less schedule for them. It was less demanding. They had one more day in-between the semi-final to digest, and they had way less travel distances than us. We played in the heat, at altitude. I was worried physically. You could see it in the second half, the cramps and all the tiredness, but I was never worried about the mentality. I have said it before, this team has created something very special, and they showed it again.'
