England head coach Thomas Tuchel has indicated that Bukayo Saka is unlikely to start Tuesday's World Cup clash against Ghana.
Saka came off the bench in England's 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday and made an immediate impact, setting up fellow substitute Marcus Rashford for England's fourth goal.
Ahead of the tournament, Tuchel revealed that Saka would need to be carefully managed during the opening stages of the World Cup because of an Achilles tendinitis issue.
On Monday, the Arsenal winger insisted he was ready to play and willing to "gamble" on his fitness to help the team. However, Tuchel suggested Saka may not be ready to start until England's final Group A match against Panama in New Jersey on 27 June.
"Bukayo is ready and will get more and more ready," Tuchel said. "I think once we go to the last game of this group, he will be ready."
Saka has been carrying the Achilles problem for some time. Although there were concerns behind the scenes at Arsenal, the club deemed him fit enough to feature regularly during their successful title run-in.
It is understood that the 24-year-old's condition has not worsened since the end of the domestic season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has generally kept details of Saka's fitness private, but Tuchel's admission that the winger requires careful management has brought his condition into the spotlight.
Tuchel's latest comments suggest he is protecting one of England's key attacking players, knowing Saka could play a pivotal role in the latter stages of the tournament, though the winger remains an option against Ghana if circumstances require.
