Thomas Tuchel hints at England changes amid Bukayo Saka injury update

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Evening Standard

·18 de junio de 2026

Thomas Tuchel hints at England changes amid Bukayo Saka injury update

Three Lions opened their World Cup account with convincing victory

Thomas Tuchel has admitted Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford have given him a decision to make over his starting line-up against Ghana.

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England’s 2026 World Cup campaign got off to a flying start at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday when the Three Lions beat Croatia 4-2, with Jude Bellingham on the scoresheet and captain Harry Kane netting twice.

Substitutes Saka and Rashford combined nicely for England’s fourth goal, converted by Rashford to make sure of victory in Arlington, Texas.

It prompted discussion over whether Saka and Rashford should come into the starting XI for the second group-stage game against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.

Asked whether the pair had given him a selection headache, Tuchel said: “Yes. Always. All four of them [the substitutes]. The way they were competing against each other was at the highest level. Especially in the last week, we had some ten-against-tens in training and some finishing patterns, some attacking patterns, some defensive patterns.

“Everyone is on but on in such a respectful way that we had some tough decisions to make. But they know we will need them and the time will come when they start. The time will come when they can finish and be decisive from the bench at any time. It is now four more weeks and in four weeks you can swallow it and digest it and buy into it. We selected the group because we were sure that they could do it and they all can.”

Super sub: Bukayo Saka

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Questioned on the fitness of Saka — who is still carrying the after-effects of an Achilles injury suffered in the backend of the season — Tuchel replied: “Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready. I think once we go to the last game of this group he will be ready. He was strong in training yesterday in small spaces. It was just a matter of if the game was open and was up and down.”

Tuchel was asked whether England fans can expect football with the proverbial handbrake off for the rest of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“I think it is what the guys did, it is what the boys did in the second half,” he replied.

“That is what needs to be done. Nobody can guarantee the outcome, but we can guarantee the effort.

“It is rewarding. Hopefully everybody enjoyed it. It brings a connection [with fans]. I had a thought in the second half: ‘people in the pubs will like this’. I was sweating but that is a good watch when we created and created and went for it with one ball and the second ball.

“That is why you are in a pub and watching together on a big screen: to get emotional. And hopefully we can transmit that.”