England’s World Cup preparations have gone about as smoothly as anyone could hope, with one notable exception. Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal winger who has become one of the most important players in Thomas Tuchel’s system, is still not at full fitness due to an Achilles injury that dates back to March 2026.
Tuchel confirmed on June 9, 2026, that Saka’s condition makes it very unlikely he’ll be at peak capacity when the tournament kicks off. The 24-year-old is currently unable to train on consecutive days, a limitation that tells you everything about where things stand.
The Saka situation
Tuchel acknowledged that Saka is “not at 100 percent.” Managers at major tournaments tend to guard injury information like state secrets, so for Tuchel to openly discuss the limitation suggests it’s significant enough that it can’t be hidden behind vague press conference language.
The question isn’t really whether Saka will be in the squad. He was included when the England World Cup roster was announced on May 22, 2026, and there’s been no indication he’ll be removed. The question is what version of Saka England actually gets.
