Roy Keane has expressed his belief that Bukayo Saka should not start for England at the World Cup, citing a 'loss of spark' due to an ongoing Achilles injury. The Arsenal winger played just under half an hour in England's final pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica, a match that saw the Three Lions ease to victory.
Saka's Fitness Concerns
Saka had been expected to be Thomas Tuchel's first-choice right winger for the World Cup. However, Tuchel revealed that Saka is still not fully fit, having carried an Achilles injury through the latter part of the club season. 'We have to take care with Bukayo who had an injury in the March camp and carried it through to the club campaign,' Tuchel said. 'He made himself available and was brilliant. He was managed in between matches – we are also building him up. That continues at the moment.'
Keane's Assessment
Speaking on ITV's match coverage, Keane questioned Saka's ability to start against Croatia in England's World Cup opener. 'I don't know. The only thing I've seen from Saka tonight, the few opportunities he's got to go past someone, to me he's lost that spark a bit,' said the former Manchester United midfielder. 'The timing isn't great if he's kind of carrying an injury, maybe that might cost him a little bit.'
Keane added: 'I do think he's lost his spark. There's a couple chances he had there on the edge of the box to go past people and he didn't do that, and that might be a little worry for the manager.'
Alternative Options
Ian Wright interjected, suggesting Noni Madueke as an alternative despite the Chelsea winger hitting the woodwork when presented with an open goal against Costa Rica. 'I think if Madueke, if he scored that goal in the first half, some of the movement he showed, that might have swung it for him,' Wright said.
Keane continued, noting that while England have reasons for optimism after two friendly victories, the team must raise their level for the tournament. 'Sometimes these games confirm what you already know. You obviously learn about the players. He said he likes the attitude, the urgency, but there's more quality to come,' Keane said. 'He spoke about the levels but he also knows deep down that they need to go up three or four levels against Croatia. That's the challenge. Everything is going along lovely, but that doesn't guarantee you a big performance against Croatia, because those boys are warriors.'
