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England just announced their lineup for the World Cup Round of 32 match against DR Congo, and to a lot of people's surprise, Bukayo Saka is missing. The reason is fitness management - Thomas Tuchel opted for Noni Madueke, who is more ready to start this match than Saka.
Saka started the last World Cup group stage game against Panama. It was quite a boring watch for every England fan, but Saka added to his tally with an assist, his second of the group stage. That's quite an impressive return, considering he only started one game.
Our team news for DR Congo! 🗞️ pic.twitter.com/eNjGs5VjeD
— England (@England) July 1, 2026
Thomas Tuchel is taking a risk he better hope pays off
Nevertheless, Saka was not 100% against Panama. He has not been 100% for most of the season with Arsenal, but he still wanted to help Arsenal's historic season. The same can be said for representing England at the World Cup.
If England progresses, they will face Mexico at the Azteca in Mexico City. With all due respect to DR Congo, facing Mexico in their fortress is a much harder task than facing DR Congo, so perhaps Thomas Tuchel is taking a gamble in resting Bukayo Saka so that he is fit.
It's a gamble that Tuchel better hope pays off. The new England head coach has made his fair share of bold calls, but they don't come much bolder than resting one of England's best players in a knockout game.
It remains to be seen if Saka will make an impact in this game, but one would imagine he at least comes off the bench. It happened in England's first two group stage games, after giving Madueke a deserved run-out.
Last season was an off-season for Bukayo Saka, but he still made his fair share of appearances for Arsenal. While he wasn't in his usual form, Arsenal's star boy still played in 31 Premier League games.
In those games that he didn't play, he was at the point of physical exhaustion. Saka is known to play every minute he can, even if it's best for his recovery not to. That is simply part and parcel of being a player in the Mikel Arteta system that requires 100% input as a minimum.
Therefore, it was always going to take time for Bukayo Saka to warm up to the pressure of World Cup football this summer. Thomas Tuchel is simply managing his minutes and doing him a favour, as much as Saka will probably be begging to play.
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