England taking caution to ‘build up’ Bukayo Saka as Arsenal players join squad in Florida | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel addressed plenty of topics during his press conference ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Costa Rica and amid descriptions of the relaxed nature of the pre-camp and avoiding direct answers over the more concerning issues with this World Cup, the England boss dropped a small nugget of concern regarding Bukayo Saka.

Saka, one of four Arsenal players who arrived late to pre-camp due to the Champions League final, will be monitored by the England staff who are ‘building him up’ for the start of the tournament.

Tuchel explained that Saka’s injury in March means a ‘little bit of care’ will need to be taken to make sure he hits his highest level in time for the World Cup 2026 group games.

The head coach said: "We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo who had an injury in March and carried it through to club.

“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.”

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Bukayo Saka has linked up with England (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

The other three Arsenal players, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice are ‘100%’ fit to go according to the manager and are likely to get minutes in Wednesday’s game against Costa Rica.

Speaking of Rice specifically, Tuchel praised his football IQ and revealed the qualities the midfielder has which earned him the vice-captaincy.

“We have a leadership group of five or six players - you can call them captains without armbands,” Tuchel said.

"Declan and Harry [Kane] are the two guys with the armband. Harry is our captain - no doubt about it. And Declan is our second captain. When Harry wasn’t in camp and didn’t play against Wales, we had a choice, and it was a very quick one from me to give it to Declan.

"He has a high football IQ. He takes care of the formation and structure, the adaptation, and the rhythm of our game. He’s had two outstanding seasons with Arsenal - one of their main players in their Champions League campaign. He’s one of the best midfielders in Europe at the moment, full of confidence. That’s why he is my vice-captain."

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Declan Rice's leadership qualities will be important for England (Getty)

John Stones was another player mentioned by name as a possible injury-doubt but that was in the questions from jounalists with Tuchel confirming that the former Manchester City defender was available and ready to start.

“He [Stones] feels very, very good. He feels fully competitive,” Tuchel claimed. “He hasn’t played a lot of minutes - not as many as we would have liked - but he was available all season and that’s a big difference. He wasn’t injured much, he has trust in his body, and most importantly, he did very well for us when he was in the camp.

"He offers a lot as a player at the highest level and is a defender of the highest quality. He can step into midfield, he’s confident in build-up, and he can switch between different formations fluidly. He’s a proven winner - he knows what it takes to win.

"On top of that, he’s a very nice person - friendly and humble. That’s the full package. I’m very happy he arrived in a calm state of mind. The best news is that he’s training every session - he’s ready to go.”