Thomas Tuchel has insisted he was trying to protect Bukayo Saka rather than sideline him after explaining why the Arsenal winger was left on the bench for England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.
The England manager faced widespread criticism after Saka remained an unused substitute as the Three Lions crashed out despite needing greater attacking impetus in the closing stages.
However, the Arsenal star responded in emphatic fashion by scoring a hat-trick in England’s thrilling 6-4 victory over France in the World Cup third-place play-off.
Saka’s performance earned him the Player of the Match award and reignited questions over why he had not featured in the semi-final.
Tuchel has now revealed that the 24-year-old was fully fit enough to play but admitted he made a conscious decision to manage his minutes because of the Achilles problem that had lingered throughout the tournament.
“He was ready to go in the World Cup, but I felt the responsibility as a coach, with the history of where he came from, to take it slow with Bukayo,” Tuchel explained.
The England boss instead opted to start Morgan Rogers, believing the Aston Villa forward’s physical attributes would better suit the challenge posed by Argentina.
“I had a feeling after the Norway match that Morgan Rogers had something special to give us with his physicality and his body in the match against Argentina,” Tuchel said.
Tuchel also revealed Saka had been prepared to enter the semi-final before circumstances prevented the change.
“We had him warm up several times against Argentina, we were ready to change, but the game became so crazy that in the end we opted for a different option,” he added.
Despite leaving him out of such a crucial match, Tuchel stressed there had never been any doubt over Saka’s importance to his plans.
“Nothing has changed during this World Cup for me. Bukayo is a fantastic teammate, a fantastic football player, a key player for us. That will not change.”
Saka refused to dwell on the disappointment after dismantling France with one of the finest performances of his England career.
“Of course I would love to have played more, but it’s too late to talk about that,” the Arsenal winger said.
“I try to do my talking on the pitch and it’s done now, move on.”
Asked whether he had been carrying an injury, Saka gave a straightforward response.
“I’m fit.”
His display against France underlined exactly why he remains one of England’s most influential attacking players and will provide Arsenal with further encouragement ahead of the new season.
Having carefully managed his workload during the World Cup, the Gunners will now hope Saka can return to north London fully refreshed and ready to play another leading role in Mikel Arteta’s pursuit of more silverware.