Saka makes fitness claim after Tuchel’s ‘not 100%’ comments

Bukayo Saka has insisted he’s ‘ready to go’ despite suggestions from England boss Thomas Tuchel that the Arsenal winger still isn’t 100% fit.

Thomas Tuchel recently claimed that Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka isn’t quite at full fitness, and that the player might not be able to both start and finish matches at the World Cup this summer.

“He is still not 100 per cent for us,” Tuchel revealed last week on Wednesday. “Some things are missing for Bukayo in terms of consecutive training.

“I didn’t say Bukayo was not ready to start. But I think it is very unlikely Bukayo starts and finishes the matches all from now on.”

Responding to those comments on Monday, Saka insisted that Arsenal and England have done very well to get him ready for the tournament.

“I don’t want to say anything that goes against the manager,” Saka said.

“What I would say is between Mikel [Arteta] and Arsenal’s medical team and Thomas [Tuchel] and the England medical team since March, they’ve 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 felt in the last few months. And, yeah, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to go, man.”

Tuchel will be keen to have Saka in his starting lineup, for multiple reasons. As well as being one of England’s best players, Saka also has a strong set-piece delivery, and Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that Tuchel is planning to take inspiration from Arsenal with a focus on set-pieces this summer.

Arsenal players may end up supplying most of England’s corners at the World Cup, with Declan Rice available on the other side.

But the World Cup isn’t a sprint, and Tuchel will want to ensure Saka remains fit for the latter stages of the tournament, if England can make it. So a few early substitutions might be for the best, even if Saka understandably wants to be out there as much as possible.

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