Bukayo Saka World Cup Fitness To Be Assessed Amid England's Cautious Plan

England manager Thomas Tuchel is weighing Bukayo Saka’s involvement for the World Cup, with medical staff monitoring an ongoing Achilles problem. The Arsenal winger is with the squad in Florida, but Tuchel is prepared to limit minutes against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday as England finish their warm-up schedule.

Saka sat out the 1-0 friendly victory over New Zealand, as Arsenal players in the group received extra rest after a long club season. Tuchel plans to give several core players 60 to 70 minutes against Costa Rica, yet Saka’s workload will depend on final assessments before kick-off.

England’s record in pre-World Cup fixtures offers some reassurance before facing Costa Rica, who are ranked 52nd by FIFA. Across 16 previous tournament

appearances, England have lost their last warm-up game only once, suffering a 7-1 defeat to Hungary prior to the 1954 World Cup.

Recent meetings with lower-ranked opposition have also been one-sided. England have won 11 straight internationals against teams outside the top 50 in the FIFA World Rankings, with an aggregate score of 28-1. That run has followed a 0-0 draw with Slovenia in June 2024 and a 1-0 defeat to Iceland earlier that month.

Saka’s current issue dates back to March, when an Achilles tendon injury forced a withdrawal from the England camp and sidelined Saka for five Arsenal matches. Despite the problem, Saka played through discomfort to help Arsenal secure the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final, which Paris Saint-Germain won on penalties.

Tuchel described the careful management plan in place for Saka, who also missed England’s win over New Zealand. "We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo, who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign," Tuchel told reporters on Tuesday. "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. "

Reunited Our four @Arsenal players have joined up with the #ThreeLions in Florida pic.twitter.com/4kKWoduArEEngland (@England) June 7, 2026

Another major focus for Tuchel before the World Cup is central defence. John Stones is widely expected to start alongside Marc Guehi, even though Stones began only 13 matches for Manchester City in the most recent club campaign. Tuchel stressed that the defender’s condition and rhythm remain satisfactory.

Tuchel said of Stones: "He feels very, very good. He feels fully competitive. He hasn’t played a lot of minutesnot as many as we would have likedbut 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. "

England’s preparation now centres on balancing sharpness and protection for key players such as Saka and Stones. Historical results against lower-ranked teams, plus strength in depth shown when 22 players featured in the final World Cup qualifier last November, give Tuchel options as England complete their build-up in Orlando.