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Bukayo Saka has admitted that he is taking a gamble at the World Cup this summer. This is due to the player suffering from an Achilles injury, which has seen his game time limited recently.
Saka was quoted on the BBC, ahead of England's opening game of the tournament, saying, "I think as players it's the biggest gamble, especially if you're not feeling your sharpest. You have the choice whether you don't play or you put yourself out there knowing that people are going to judge you the same."
The winger missed Premier League and Champions League games with the Achilles problem he sustained in March. He also missed England's friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan because of it.
Saka's game time has been managed by his boss at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta. Thomas Tuchel also left him and the other Arsenal players out of England's first warm-up friendly against New Zealand. However, he did feature against Costa Rica in the Three Lions' last game. Saka wore the armband when he came on, as it was at the time when captain, Harry Kane, was being taken off.
The England manager clearly values Saka; he would not have taken him to the World Cup. Tuchel could have brought a fully fit right-winger, such as Jarrod Bowen, instead of Saka.
Will Bukayo Saka feature against Croatia tomorrow?
Tuchel has already revealed that there is not much chance of Saka playing full games at the World Cup this summer. England has a history of taking injured players to major tournaments and the gamble not paying off. Wayne Rooney's metatarsal problem in 2006 will spring to the minds of many supporters.
Saka showed he can still produce even with his game time being limited for Arsenal. He scored the winner for the Gunners in the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid. However, he was criticized for his performance in the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Tuchel will likely start Saka's Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke against Croatia. He started on the right wing against Costa Rica, which is an indication that he will have the same role during the tournament.
It is no surprise that Saka is willing to take this gamble at the World Cup. He missed the decisive penalty against Italy in the final of Euro 2020 and will be looking to right the wrongs of that game. However, Gunners fans will be concerned that Saka does not make his injury worse.
Arsenal will be looking to defend their Premier League title next season and will need Saka to be fit. Many supporters value their club more than their country. Therefore, many Arsenal fans would have preferred Saka to use this summer to rehabilitate from his injury. Only time will tell if Saka's gamble pays off.
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