Bukayo Saka will “continue gambling” with his fitness and is “ready to go” for England’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, despite carrying an Achilles injury since March.
The Arsenal winger, who will win his 50th cap in the match, has had his game-time managed by both Arsenal and England since the problem first flared up. He missed the March international break and seven games for the Gunners, but returned to help the club win the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.
“Bukayo Saka says he will gamble on his fitness for England's World Cup opener against Croatia despite carrying an Achilles injury.”
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 the opening game, 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 played 27 minutes of England’s warm-up game against Costa Rica, as Tuchel managed his minutes. He was taken off in the Champions League final, which Arsenal lost to Paris-St Germain in Budapest with the scores level at the time of his substitution. His performance was criticised, but Saka said he is willing to accept the “gamble” of being judged while not fully fit.
“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,” he 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 said that despite competing for game-time they want the best for each other.
Croatia, meanwhile, have been working to keep their own team news under wraps — but Tomislav Gabelic, a journalist for 24Sata, said he already has a gist of the side coach Zlatko Dalic will field. Dalic has indicated he will switch to a back-three for the England game, likely in a 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 formation designed to counter-attack. Gabelic predicted Josip Stanisic and Ivan Perisic as the wing-backs, with Josko Gvardiol, Josip Sutalo and Luka Vuskovic in central defence. In midfield, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Martin Baturina or Petar Sucic could start, with one of strikers Petar Musa or Ante Budimir leading the line.
Gabelic said the obsession with leaking line-ups is not unique to England. “It’s the same here in Croatia when you speak about our national team,” he said. “Even coach Zlatko Dalic is sometimes sad that we released the team which will start the game earlier than him.” With kick-off imminent, both sides are keeping their cards close — but Saka has already laid his on the table.