England have been handed a fresh fitness concern ahead of their crucial FIFA World Cup Group L encounter with Ghana after winger Bukayo Saka was absent from full team training on Saturday.
The Arsenal forward did not join his teammates for the session at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, instead continuing a personalised fitness programme indoors as he manages an ongoing Achilles issue.
Saka has been dealing with the problem since March, prompting England boss Thomas Tuchel to carefully regulate his minutes and workload throughout the tournament. While the rest of the 25-man squad trained as normal, the 24-year-old remained the sole player working away from the main group.
Despite the setback, Saka is not considered unavailable for selection. The winger featured as a substitute in England’s opening 4-2 victory over Croatia and quickly made his presence felt, providing the assist for Marcus Rashford’s goal late in the contest.
Tuchel had previously acknowledged that Saka’s Achilles condition would require close attention during the World Cup, and Saturday’s training arrangement appears to be part of that management plan rather than a sign of a new injury.
England enter Tuesday’s meeting with Ghana full of confidence after beginning their campaign with an entertaining win over Croatia. The Black Stars are equally buoyant following their narrow 1-0 triumph over Panama, leaving both nations level on three points heading into the highly anticipated clash.
However, Saka’s continued absence from collective training is likely to fuel debate over whether Tuchel will include him in the starting lineup or preserve him for a potential impact role from the bench against the Black Stars.
With qualification to the knockout stages potentially on the line, England’s coaching staff will continue assessing the winger’s condition before making a final decision on his involvement.
