Saka ready to gamble with fitness for England at World Cup

Bukayo Saka has said he will continue to gamble with his fitness and is ready to play for England in their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday. The Arsenal winger has been managing an Achilles injury since March, with his game time carefully monitored by both club and country.

Injury management and readiness

Saka missed the March international break and seven games for Arsenal due to the issue, but returned to help the Gunners win their first Premier League title in 22 years. England manager Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged the need to manage Saka's workload, stating it is "very unlikely" the 24-year-old would start and finish all World Cup matches. However, when asked if he is ready to play the full 90 minutes in England's opening match in Dallas, Saka expressed his availability.

"I don't want to say anything that goes against the manager," Saka said. "What I would say is that between Mikel [Arteta] and the Arsenal medical team and Thomas [Tuchel] and the England medical team, since March they have managed me amazingly and helped me get back on the pitch and do what I can for the team. I'm feeling better than I have felt in the last few months and I'm ready to go."

Gamble of playing while not fully fit

Saka, who will make his 50th England appearance in his next match, played 27 minutes of England's warm-up game against Costa Rica as Tuchel managed his minutes. He was substituted in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain with the score level, a performance that drew criticism. When asked if he finds it frustrating being judged while not fully fit, Saka described it as a gamble he is willing to take.

"Yeah, but I think as players it's the biggest gamble, especially if you're not feeling your sharpest. You have the choice whether you don't play or you put yourself out there knowing that people are going to judge you the same," Saka said. "And at the end of the day people don't really care how you're feeling, they expect you to deliver, they expect you to perform. I'm happy to take that gamble and it paid off I'd say, and I'm going to continue doing that - but like I said I'm feeling a lot better than I did in March and I'm ready to go, so I'm excited."

Competition with Noni Madueke

Saka is competing for a starting spot on the right wing with Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke. Despite competing for game time at both club and international level, Saka said they maintain a close relationship. "It's quite unique, two players that play in the same position to be as close as we are," Saka said. "I don't really know how it works, but it works. Noni is like my brother on and off the pitch. We push each other and we speak every day. We have that mutual respect for each other and we want each other to do well. The good thing is that we play on the same team and that if one of us is doing well it is good for the other."

Workload concerns and history

Saka's workload has been a recurring concern for managers. During his tenure, former England boss Gareth Southgate repeatedly spoke about tailoring Saka's programme to avoid excessive load. In the 2023-24 season, Saka played 59 matches, logged 4,756 minutes, and completed 26 full games—his heaviest campaign. It was also his most productive, with 21 goals and 15 assists, placing him among Europe's elite wide forwards. However, the strain led to a hamstring tear that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described as an "accumulation" injury. Since then, Arsenal have taken a more measured approach, but Saka's workload remains high: 153 matches, 11,154 minutes, and 61 full games over the past three seasons. Now, Tuchel faces the same dilemma that confronted Southgate.