England manager Tuchel set to feature Saka in friendly against Senegal

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is set to take part in a significantly revamped England side for their friendly against Senegal on Tuesday, as confirmed by manager Thomas Tuchel.

England managed a narrow and unimpressive 1-0 victory over Andorra in their World Cup qualifying match on Saturday.

“I had a minor strain after the last Premier League game of the season,” Saka explained to reporters on Monday. “Fair play to the England management; they handled my situation well. The manager opted to leave me out on Saturday and indicated that I would feature tomorrow.”

“I truly enjoy coming to England camps and representing my country. It’s been a bit of a frustrating year due to injuries, but I’m here now and excited for tomorrow’s match.”

Tuchel expressed his disappointment regarding his side’s “lack of urgency” following the win over Andorra, which placed them in a strong position in Group K.

“I look out for my players; I won’t name anyone because it’s not about individuals,” Tuchel remarked at the team’s training facility in St. George’s Park.

“However, as a collective, we fell short of our usual standards. I sensed that our performance level wasn’t serious enough for a World Cup qualifier.”

“Why should we gloss over it? You were there in the stadium; why would I claim we had a good game? No harm done; we can handle a bit of criticism.”

England will face a more formidable challenge against Senegal.

The African national team, who suffered a 3-0 defeat to England during the 2022 World Cup in their only previous encounter, is currently on a 23-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Under Tuchel’s management, England have won all three of their matches and have secured victories in their last six games overall, keeping clean sheets in the last five.

Saka declined to comment on how Tuchel’s coaching style compares to that of his predecessor Gareth Southgate.

“To be honest, I don’t really like to make comparisons,” Saka said. “Since I joined the camp, (Tuchel) has been quite demanding and intense on the pitch, while off the pitch, he has been more laid back.”

“He fosters a positive environment, allowing us to enjoy ourselves and creating a pleasant atmosphere for all the players.”

The squad spent Sunday evening watching Portugal secure a win over Spain in the Nations League final.

“The final showcased a high level of competition—top-notch football,” Tuchel noted. “That’s the standard we aim to achieve, and I’m confident we possess everything necessary to reach that level when we face similar opponents.”