Thomas Tuchel has clarified why Bukayo Saka saw limited game time at the World Cup, despite the winger scoring a hat-trick in England’s 6-4 third-place play-off victory over France. The Arsenal star became only the fourth male England player to achieve a World Cup hat-trick, joining Sir Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker, and Harry Kane.
Saka started just one of England’s four knockout matches before the France game and did not feature in the semi-final loss to Argentina. Tuchel acknowledged Saka’s frustration, explaining his decision to favour Morgan Rogers in that match. ‘I had a feeling after the Norway match that Morgan Rogers had something special to give with his physicality,’ Tuchel said.
The England manager admitted he was unaware of Saka’s hat-trick during the match, but praised his contribution: ‘Bukayo is a key player for me. He was excellent. It was never a doubt.’ Tuchel added that he took a cautious approach with Saka due to his Achilles injury history.
Saka, for his part, expressed disappointment but focused on moving forward. ‘Of course I would love to have played more, but it’s too late to talk about that. I try to do my talking on the pitch,’ he said.
