Thomas Tuchel says Bukayo Saka needs to be carefully steered back to full fitness as England head into a World Cup where they must “dare to dream”.<\/p>\n
History is against 1966 winners England, head coach Tuchel pointed out.<\/p>\n
But his view is that “a bit of luck”, plus sharp focus and self-belief, could make his team serious trophy challengers if they come through the early rounds.<\/p>\n
Having his most important players available may be key, and Saka ranks highly among that contingent.<\/p>\n
The Arsenal winger missed part of the climax to the domestic season because of an Achilles injury, though he did return in time for the club’s run-in as they won the Premier League title.<\/p>\n
Tuchel said Saka, who has scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for the Three Lions, still requires careful attention before the tournament – which has raised some concerns given he is a key player.<\/p>\n
“We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo [Saka] who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign,” Tuchel told a news conference.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“We just came from training and everyone was involved including Bukayo.”<\/p>\n
Tuchel said he must assess Saka and the rest of his England squad before deciding who starts the final warm-up match against Costa Rica on Wednesday (21:00 BST).<\/p>\n