Thomas Tuchel told to remove Bukayo Saka from England World Cup squad over injury concerns

Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Thomas Tuchel should remove Bukayo Saka from his squad due to concerns over his fitness.

Ahead of the Three Lions’ final warm-up game against Costa Rica, live on talkSPORT, Tuchel revealed that managing Saka‘s fitness is a priority.

Getty

Near the end of the season, the 24-year-old missed seven games for club and country due to an Achilles problem.

He returned to help Arsenal win the Premier League title.

Saks started the Champions League final but was taken off before the end as Paris Saint-Germain made it back-to-back titles.

And after Tuchel’s comments, Agbonlahor believes that Saka should be replaced.

Speaking on Breakfast with Andy Goldstein, he said: “In the group, it’s not a concern because I think it will be quite straightforward.

“He’s only missed seven Premier League games, which isn’t that bad, but should we be taking a player who has got an injury problem?

“Look at Rio Ngumoha. Look at his performance against New Zealand, and look at the players we are leaving back at home – Foden, Bowen and Palmer.

“We’ve got too much talent on the wings to have a player that can’t train every day and can’t really get through 90 minutes.

” I love Saka, but if someone is struggling with an injury, I would swap him.

“I’d bring in either Foden or Palmer.”

Getty

When questioned by Goldstein, he said: “Say we are playing in the knockout stages, and you have to bring Madueke on 45 minutes in.

“And Madueke has done well for Tuchel, but we have talent at home.

“Achilles can take so long to get better, and I know what Saka is going through, and sometimes, you don’t properly recover from that.

“I think there will be a lot of people that agree with me and say, should he change him for Ngumoha?”

What Tuchel said?

Saka was one of five England players to arrive late after being given extra time off following their European exploits.

But Tuchel revealed some concerns over his star winger.

Speaking to the press, he said: “We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo [Saka] who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign.

“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.

“We just came from training and everyone was involved including Bukayo.”

Getty

Disagree

But former Netherlands striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who was an England coach at Euro 2024, believes Tuchel is making the right decision in keeping Saka in the squad.

Saka has 14 goals and nine assists in 48 caps for England and has scored for England at the World Cup and European Championships across his career.

Joining Agbonlahor and Goldstein, he was asked if he’d take a non-100 per cent fit Saka, and said: “All day long.

“If he is not 100 per cent fit for the first two matches, then I’d take him all day long because he always turns up in big matches.

“He takes responsibility and has got the experience now.

“He is a penalty taker; he gives assists and scores goals.

“Let us not forget the goal he scored against Switzerland. In the final against Spain, he was one of the better players.

“For Arsenal, he turns up. He hasn’t had the best year, even though, they’ve become champions because he expects more from himself.

“But he is the best player in his position for England.”

Stay up to date with all the latest World Cup tips & predictions, World Cup Top Goalscorer Odds, World Cup Group Winner Odds and all the best World Cup Betting Offers and Free Bets in our dedicated betting hub