England winger Bukayo Saka remains a fitness doubt ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with head coach Thomas Tuchel confirming the Arsenal forward is still being carefully managed following an Achilles injury that disrupted his domestic campaign.

A season of highs and setbacks

Saka, 24, played a role in Arsenal's first Premier League title since 2004, yet his contribution was curtailed by the Achilles problem that first appeared in March. Since then, he has completed 90 minutes just once, and the knock also impacted his international availability — he withdrew from England's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March.

Saka was also part of the Arsenal side beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final on May 30. Along with teammates Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke, he only linked up with Tuchel's World Cup squad on Saturday evening — after England's 1-0 warm-up victory over New Zealand.

Tuchel's cautious approach

Speaking at a news conference in Orlando ahead of England's second pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica, Tuchel struck a measured tone regarding Saka's readiness.