Bukayo Saka was only eligible for a substitute appearance against Croatia but could start from the start in England’s game against Ghana on Tuesday.
Saka is in contention to start against Ghana (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
Manager Thomas Tuchel said Declan Rice is now one of the best midfielders in the world. Rice will earn his 75th cap against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday night, and was given a glowing tribute by his national team manager.
England manager Tuchel said: “What we have in him now is one of the best midfielders in the world. A humble, humble footballer. Humble, ready to be a team player, ready to put his energy into the quality of the group, ready to learn and learn every day.”
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“So his career has made him one of the best players at the moment. I’m very proud of Coach Peace.”
Tuchel said Bukayo Saka is fit to start against Ghana but may not actually get the go-ahead due to intense competition for spots.
However, Saka’s return to full fitness from his Achilles injury is a huge boost for England for the remainder of the tournament.
Tuchel added: “Another big thing on the right between Noni Maduke and Bukayo Saka, and the great thing is that they’re doing it at Arsenal as well. Bukayo is getting better and better, he doesn’t feel any pain and he’s ready to go. I won’t say whether he starts or comes from the bench.”
“Everyone is training, everyone is available. Whether it’s Marc (Guehi) in defense, Marcus (Rashford) or Bukayo (Saka), whether they’re starting or coming off the bench, they all bought into the team.”
Tuchel initially insisted that the rehydration break was necessary due to the weather, but reversed course, saying he was not a fan of rehydration breaks.
But England lost momentum against Croatia last week and Tuchel said that was their problem this tournament. Tuchel added: “I think this has disrupted the game of football more than I expected and changed its identity.
Tuchel is struggling with his choice against Ghana (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
“Of course, we’ve had hydration breaks before. They were necessary, but they were short. It was shorter and only for a few games.”
“Now it’s a point of fairness for all teams. Now it breaks the game in almost four quarters. I think it changes the character of the game more than I expected. Of course, as a coach, I like to have an influence and bring the team together.”
“But overall, I think I prefer football played all at once. It creates momentum, and that’s part of the game. It’s hard to build momentum, it’s hard to maintain momentum. It’s the same with the battle on the field between players and teams.”
“It’s over a longer period of time. It just adds to the character of the beautiful game. This detracts from it. But from a fairness standpoint, of course it makes sense for everyone to understand that.”
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