Arsenal
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Bukayo Saka has emerged as a major fitness concern for England ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Andorra, with head coach Thomas Tuchel revealing that the Arsenal winger has barely trained due to a lingering knock.
Saka, 23, has only completed one full session with the national team following discomfort sustained in Arsenal’s recent clash with Southampton. While the Three Lions boss admitted a decision is yet to be made on Saka’s availability for Saturday’s match, he expressed confidence the winger will return in time for next week’s friendly against Senegal.
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Tuchel said: “He came into camp with a little bit of discomfort from the last match against Southampton, so we took care of him and treated him individually until today. It was the first training session that he started and finished with the group. Yesterday, he started but didn’t finish.”
Arsenal - Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka (Image credit: Getty Images)
The England boss admitted he may not risk Saka against Andorra, but reiterated the forward’s long-term importance to the national setup. “He plays a major role in our thoughts about how to build a competitive team,” Tuchel added.
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Saka, who missed much of last season after undergoing hamstring surgery, was absent from Tuchel’s first squad as England manager. However, the German coach praised Saka’s evolution, saying: “He grew in his personality with every season that he played consistently for Arsenal. He was one of the key players, one of the main drivers of their development.
“He was decisive for England, took responsibility, and bounced back after that dramatic penalty miss. It’s nice to see that he’s back, because he wanted to be back, and he’s clearly comfortable being with the squad.”
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