I’ll keep gambling with fitness for England – Saka

Bukayo Saka says he will continue gambling with his fitness and is “ready to go” for England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday.

The Arsenal winger has been carrying an Achilles injury since March and had game-time managed for both Arsenal and the Three Lions.

Saka missed the March international break with the issue and seven games for the Gunners but returned to help his club side lift the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has said he needs to “take care” of the 24-year-old and it is “very unlikely” Saka would “start and finish” all the World Cup matches.

But when asked if he is ready to play the whole of England’s opening game in Dallas, Saka said he is ready to be selected.

“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.”

Saka, who will make his 50th appearance for England in his next match, played 27 minutes of England’s warm-up game against Costa Rica as the forward’s game-time was managed by Tuchel.

The winger was taken off in the Champions League final as Arsenal lost to Paris-St Germain in Budapest with the scores level at the time of his substitution.

Saka’s performance in that match was criticised, but when asked if he found it frustrating being judged while not 100% fit, he said it is 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.”

Saka is competing for a starting spot on the right wing with Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke, but says that despite competing for game-time for club and country they want the best for each other.

“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.”

Every manager who works with Saka ends up saying the same thing: “We have to be careful.”

During his time as England boss, Sir Gareth Southgate repeatedly talked about tailoring Saka’s programme and avoiding unnecessary load.

In the 2023-24 campaign – the heaviest season of his career – Saka played 59 matches, logged 4,756 minutes and completed 26 full games

It was also his most productive: 21 goals and 15 assists, numbers that placed him among Europe’s elite wide forwards.

But the strain was visible. He was kicked, clattered, targeted and eventually, something gave – a hamstring tear that Arsenal boss Arteta described as an “accumulation” injury.

Since then, the Gunners have taken a more measured approach, but the numbers still underline the scale of Saka’s workload: 153 matches, 11,154 minutes and 61 full games across the past three seasons.

Now, Tuchel faces the same dilemma that confronted Southgate.

Saka is too important to leave out, too influential to rotate casually, and too valuable to run into the ground.

England do not need him to play every minute – they need him available for the right ones.