Mikel Arteta has to take action after Bukayo Saka claimed that he’s prepared to ‘gamble’ with his fitness at the World Cup.
Bukayo Saka has been working hard to stay fit(Image: Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka has insisted he’s prepared to risk his fitness ahead of England’s clash against Croatia. The Arsenal winger, who’s been nursing an Achilles problem since March, could put all his hard work to waste when the Three Lions begin their World Cup campaign at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta and Thomas Tuchel carefully managed his minutes during an injury-plagued season in preparation for a busy summer. In August 2025, just a couple of weeks after the campaign got underway, Saka suffered a hamstring issue, which, although not as severe as first feared, sidelined him for five games.
At the start of the new year, the England international picked up a hip problem; he was only out for a couple of weeks, but still missed three matches. Then, in March, Saka sustained an Achilles injury, which kept him out of action for about a month, during which he watched a further seven games from the stands.
After working closely with the medical staff at the Sobha Realty Training Centre and St. George’s Park, the Hale End graduate returned just in time to help Arsenal win the Premier League for the first time in 22 years. Saka was also fit to start the Champions League final, but he couldn’t lead the Gunners to victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
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Shortly after the heartbreaking defeat at the Puskas Arena, the Englishman was named in Tuchel’s squad ahead of the World Cup. Despite question marks over his fitness, Saka reported for international duty, jetting off to Florida with the likes of Decan Rice and Noni Madueke.
While in the United States, the England boss has admitted he needs to ‘take care’ of the 24-year-old winger, claiming it’s ‘very unlikely’ he will ‘start and finish’ every game at the World Cup, unlike others. But when asked if he’s ready to do so against Croatia, Saka had no doubt in his mind.
“I don’t want to say anything that goes against the manager,” the Arsenal winger said. “What I would say is that between Mikel [Arteta] and the Arsenal medical team and Thomas and the England medical team, since March, they have managed me amazingly and helped me get back on the pitch and do what I can for the team.
“I’m feeling better than I have felt in the last few months, and I’m ready to go,” added Saka. “I think as players it’s the biggest gamble [to play while not 100 per cent fit], 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. And at the end of the day, people don’t really care how you’re feeling; they expect you to deliver, they expect you to perform.
“I’m happy to take that gamble, and it paid off, I’d say, and I’m going to continue doing that – but like I said, I’m feeling a lot better than I did in March, and I’m ready to go, so I’m excited.”
Although Arsenal and England medical staff have made a conscious effort to protect Saka in recent months, Arteta is already 18-months deep into a special injury management plan. Since the winger suffered a hamstring injury in December 2024 that required surgery, leaving him out for three months, the Gunners boss has tried to gradually reduce his workload.
As displayed in the graphic below, last term Saka made more appearances across all competitions than ever before, yet he averaged only 66.4 minutes per game, the lowest recorded since bursting onto the scene during the 2019/20 season.
With the Hale End graduate often leaving the field on the hour mark, Arteta has been forced to rely on Noni Madueke. Although the former Chelsea winger fell short of expectations last term, he did, however, shoulder just under 1,900 minutes of action on the right wing, where Saka also plays.
If Arteta is to keep Saka available, not only will he have to ensure that he doesn’t ‘gamble’ with his fitness, but he will also have to give Madueke more opportunities, whether he wants to or not. On competing with his fellow countryman for minutes on the domestic and international stage, Saka described him as a ‘brother’.
He said: “It’s quite unique, two players that play in the same position to be as close as we are. I don’t really know how it works, but it works. Noni is like my brother on and off the pitch. We push each other, and we speak every day.
“We have that mutual respect for each other, and we want each other to do well. The good thing is that we play on the same team and that if one of us is doing well, it is good for the other.”
