One of his key players featured after an injury scare.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has been handed a significant injury boost ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Bukayo Saka made his return to action during the Three Lions’ 3-0 victory over Costa Rica.
The Arsenal winger had been a major fitness concern in the build-up to the tournament after carrying an Achilles problem throughout the closing stages of the club season. Tuchel admitted earlier this week that Saka was still playing through discomfort and was not yet back to full fitness, with England’s medical staff carefully managing his workload.
However, there was encouraging news for England supporters as Saka emerged from the bench during the second half against Costa Rica in Orlando. The 24-year-old was introduced alongside several other substitutes as Tuchel rotated his squad in the final warm-up fixture before the World Cup begins.
Saka’s appearance comes just days after Tuchel revealed that the winger was unable to complete consecutive training sessions and remained short of full match fitness. The England boss stressed that both Arsenal and the national team had been taking a cautious approach to avoid aggravating the injury.
Speaking before the Costa Rica match, Tuchel said Saka was “still getting there” and admitted the forward was not yet operating at 100 per cent. The German coach also suggested that the Arsenal star would need to be managed carefully throughout the World Cup campaign.
Despite those concerns, Saka’s successful return against Costa Rica will provide a welcome confidence boost for Tuchel and his coaching staff. The winger remains one of England’s most important attacking players and has consistently delivered on the international stage, including impressive performances at previous major tournaments.
England secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Costa Rica, with goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins helping Tuchel’s side build momentum ahead of their World Cup opener against Croatia. Crucially for England, there were no fresh injury concerns following the match.
With Saka now back on the pitch and building valuable match sharpness, Tuchel will be hopeful that one of his biggest attacking threats can continue progressing towards full fitness before England’s opening group-stage clash.
