Gary Neville has expressed his fears over the fitness of England star Bukayo Saka, insisting the winger ‘doesn’t look right at all’ as the Three Lions prepare for the knock-out stages of the World Cup.
Saka has been having a persistent Achilles problem managed by the FA, after playing through pain during the run-in for Arsenal at the end of last season.
England boss Thomas Tuchel had admitted earlier this month that Saka had been unable to train on consecutive days.
Saka still featured in all three of England’s group stage matches, featuring from the bench against Croatia and Ghana, before playing just over an hour in the 2-0 victory over Panama.
With England having struggled to create from wide positions in their previous two matches, there have been renewed concerns heading into the knock-out stages of the tournament.
Speaking on Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, former England defender Neville sounded a fearful note over Saka’s fitness.
Gary Neville has expressed fears over England star Bukayo Saka’s fitness at the World Cup
Neville claimed Saka, who has been managing an Achilles problem, ‘doesn’t look right at all’
‘Bukayo Saka doesn’t look right at all,’ Neville said.
‘He’s usually the boy that’s bubbling and smiling, he’s got that competitive edge to him, but he’s not right and that’s a concern to us I think.’
His concerns were shared by Ian Wright, with the Arsenal legend questioning whether Saka has been ‘rushed back’ for the World Cup.
‘We’re going into a World Cup, and still not starting the first few games, only starting when we’re three games in, and still isn’t looking like the Saka that we know – this guy needs a break,’ Wright said.
Heading into the tournament, Saka had admitted that he was ‘happy to gamble’ with his fitness, as he had done with Arsenal in the latter stages of the season.
Saka’s game-time at Arsenal had been managed in the closing weeks of the season, with the winger having completed the full 90 minutes in just one match since mid-March.
‘As players, it’s the biggest gamble, especially if you’re not feeling your sharpest,’ Saka said.
‘You have the choice whether you don’t play or you put yourself out there knowing people are going to judge you the same.
‘I’m happy to take the gamble. It paid off, I’d say. I’m going to continue doing that. At the end of the day, people don’t really care how you’re feeling, they expect you to deliver.’
Ian Wright and Roy Keane stressed England’s wingers, including Anthony Gordon, will need to raise their game heading into the knock-out stages of the World Cup
England had begun the tournament with Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke providing the width from the start against Croatia and Ghana.
Having introduced Marcus Rashford and Saka from the bench in the opening two fixtures, Thomas Tuchel elected to hand the pair a start against Panama but England struggled to create clear cut chances until Jude Bellingham’s opener from a corner.
Wright and Roy Keane stressed the importance of England’s wingers raising their game as the knock-out stages of the World Cup begin.
‘I can’t remember too many tournaments where you’re feeling like you’re on the edge, I feel like that’s normal,’ Wright said.
‘But there are a lot of people [in the England squad] who are not up to speed.
‘Our wingers, and the way we depend on the wingers are not doing well enough.’
Keane added: ‘The wingers need to grab their opportunity. These players [wingers] haven’t quite grabbed their opportunity yet.
‘In the group games, you can maybe slip up in one of them, but now at least one of them has to start turning up.’
England will face DR Congo in the last-32 of the World Cup on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Victory would set up a last-16 tie against either co-hosts Mexico or Ecuador at the Azteca in Mexico City.
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