England manager Thomas Tuchel says his squad must “dare to dream” at the upcoming World Cup, but insists winger Bukayo Saka must be carefully managed back to full fitness.
The Arsenal forward missed a portion of the domestic season with a muscle injury before returning to help his club secure the Premier League title, but Tuchel revealed Saka is still being monitored closely.
Saka, who has scored 14 goals in 48 international appearances, trained with the rest of the 26-man squad on Tuesday ahead of England’s final warm-up match against Costa Rica on Wednesday.
“We still have to take a little bit of care of Bukayo, who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign,” Tuchel told a news conference.
“He made himself available at the end of the season and did so brilliantly, but he was managed in between matches. That continues a bit at the moment — we are building him up.”
Tuchel acknowledged that history is against the 1966 winners but believes that with sharp focus, self-belief, and “a bit of luck”, England can be serious trophy contenders in North America if they navigate the early rounds.
The German coach added that he will use the Costa Rica fixture to give key players more minutes on the pitch before their tournament opener against Croatia on 17 June.
Tuchel made 11 changes at half-time during Saturday’s 1-0 win over New Zealand but plans to extend playing time to around 60 or 70 minutes for certain individuals on Wednesday to build match sharpness.
Manchester City defender John Stones, who featured sparingly for his club last season, is among those in line for an extended run-out.
“Everyone is fit and ready, and John is one of them,” Tuchel said. “No one needs a break. Everyone is available, which is very good news. Hopefully, we all stay healthy and have full availability for Croatia.”
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