England will be without Bukayo Saka when they take on Andorra on Saturday as the Arsenal winger joins a list of unavailable players that features Ollie Watkins
Bukayo Saka has been left out of the England squad that will face Andorra on Saturday as fitness issues continue to hamper the Arsenal man and several of his colleagues in the Three Lions camp.
England will continue their World Cup qualifying campaign but Thomas Tuchel will be without his winger, who had become a mainstay under the previous regime. The German confirmed on Friday that Saka had only completed one full training session during the week.
He joins an absentee list that also includes Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins. The latter has returned home with a minor injury, reports the BBC.
Saka, who has won 43 caps for his country, is yet to play for England under Tuchel and it is unclear whether he’ll return for the friendly against Senegal in three days. The Arsenal star missed three months of action between December and April with a hamstring injury.
A number of Tuchel’s England stars will be heading off to the Club World Cup shortly after their England commitments. Five of the squad will represent Chelsea whilst Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham will also be in action.
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Despite that the former Chelsea and PSG boss has been under no pressure to keep certain individuals wrapped up in cotton wool. “No coach has called me and there was no request from the FA,” Tuchel said. “We know the clubs have a lot of matches and the players go after to he Club World Cup. It can also happen that some players start twice for us but we have an interest to see a lot of players, so I think we will not upset anyone.”
Tuchel has also warned England fans not to “over expect” when they play Andorra, who are ranked 173rd in the world football. The expectation will be for a routine win with several goals, which would strengthen England’s spot in Group K after two wins.
However the German said: “It will be on us to get going. It is on us to keep the tempo high, it is on us to bring the energy to the pitch. It is on us to bring the attacking energy to the pitch and to do this in a relentless way.
“The players come from a long and tiring season and then again accepting the role to be responsible for the majority of the game. It can be demanding, but at the same time it is what I feel from the group – they are happy to be here, happy to show.”
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