Gary Neville has expressed concerns over Bukayo Saka's form and fitness ahead of England's World Cup round of 16 match against DR Congo. The Arsenal winger started his first game of the tournament in the 2-0 win over Panama but struggled to make an impact, leading to criticism from former Watford striker Troy Deeney.
Neville fears Saka's long-standing Achilles issue could force manager Thomas Tuchel to drop him. '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,' Neville said.
Ian Wright echoed those sentiments, questioning whether Saka had 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.
England qualified top of Group L with seven points, but fitness issues are mounting. Declan Rice was rested against Panama, and Reece James is not expected back until the quarter-finals due to a hamstring strain. Other wingers, including Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon, have also failed to impress.
Roy Keane added: 'The wingers need to grab their opportunity. These players 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.'
