England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted Bukayo Saka is still being carefully managed as he continues his recovery from the Achilles problem that affected the closing months of Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.
The Arsenal winger joined up with the England squad after being given additional rest following the Gunners’ Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
While Saka has returned to training and remains available for selection, Tuchel confirmed the 24-year-old is not yet operating at full fitness ahead of England’s World Cup opener against Croatia.
Speaking to reporters, the England boss explained that Arsenal had already been forced to manage Saka’s workload during the latter stages of the season.
“We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo, who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign,” Tuchel said.
“He made himself available at the end of the season and did so brilliantly, but he was managed in between matches. That continues a bit at the moment – we are building him up.”
Tuchel later revealed that Saka remains the only player in England’s squad who is still working his way back to full condition.
“Declan is on 100% and Bukayo is still getting there, playing through discomfort at the end of the season,” Tuchel added. “He is the one we are building and taking care of in training.”
The German coach praised Arsenal’s handling of the situation and suggested England will continue a similar approach during the tournament.
“They took very good care of him and were very aware of it and we will do a little bit the same,” he said. “He is at the moment not able to do every training session through the week and then play. He is still going to be managed.”
The comments underline just how much Saka sacrificed to help Arsenal during the decisive weeks of their campaign.
Despite dealing with discomfort, the winger returned in time to play a key role as Mikel Arteta’s side secured their first Premier League title in 22 years and reached the Champions League final.
Tuchel acknowledged the impact Saka made after returning to action.
“Arsenal brought him back and he was straight away decisive,” the England manager said.
England face Costa Rica in their final warm-up fixture before beginning their World Cup campaign against Croatia next week.
Tuchel is expected to carefully monitor Saka’s minutes during the early stages of the tournament in an effort to ensure one of England’s most influential players is available when it matters most.
For Arsenal supporters, the priority will be seeing Saka come through the World Cup unscathed after a demanding season in which he once again proved indispensable for both club and country.