England coach Thomas Tuchel said his team had no injury problems ahead of their second World Cup match against Ghana on Tuesday, with midfielder Bukayo Saka out of pain due to an Achilles tendon problem.
“Everyone is available, everyone was in training,” Tuchel told reporters on Monday.
«Bukayo is getting better and better. He is becoming freer in his movements. He no longer feels any pain. He has been able to do both of our training sessions at the highest level in the last two days, so he is ready to go without telling you whether he will start on the bench.»
Saka, typically a first-choice starter for England, came on as a substitute in the 4-2 win over Croatia last week.
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The win showed England’s fluidity in attack, although Croatia’s two goals in a disorganized first-half performance raised concerns about shortcomings in Tuchel’s team’s defence.
The German tried to emphasize the sense of togetherness in his team, saying that the competition between Saka and his Arsenal teammate Noni Madueke for the right-hand spot in England’s midfield was «something beautiful».
Similarly, Anthony Gordon was one of the first players to rush off the bench to congratulate Marcus Rashford, who had replaced him, on scoring England’s fourth goal against Croatia, Tuchel said.
He praised the teamwork approach of Jude Bellingham, another goalscorer against the Croatians, whose attitude has been criticized by supporters in the past.
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“He fully supports the idea that we do this as a team and that is why he is with us,” the coach said.
Tuchel said he was aware of the threat posed by Ghana’s ability to absorb pressure and then counter-attack with speed, which represented a different style to Croatia.
“But that’s the beauty of it,” he said. “We are playing (in the) World Cup, we are now playing against different cultures, different national teams and different approaches to the game, and it is up to us to adapt and bring our strength and be respectful enough to adapt to our opponent’s strengths.”
Both teams won their opening games in Group L – Ghana beat Panama 1-0 with a last-gasp winner – so three points Tuesday at home to the New England Patriots NFL team near Boston would earn qualification for the round of 32.
Published on June 23, 2026
