October 6th 2023.
Gareth Southgate has made it clear that he will take no chances with Bukayo Saka's injury during the upcoming international break. The Arsenal winger was forced off in the first half of the Gunners' Champions League defeat to Lens on Tuesday evening and has been hampered by an Achilles injury since the end of last season.
The England manager has included Saka in his squad for the friendly against Australia and the Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy later this month, but is adamant that he will protect the player's fitness. 'I can only go via what Mikel has said about the last few games,’ said Southgate.
He continued: 'He is in contention for the weekend so we’ve obviously got a very important qualifier. We look after the players as well as any country. There’s always a focus on our players because they are playing their club football, in the main, in England and then we are playing here as well. Whereas all the other countries call the players that are playing in the Premier League and nobody looks at how they look after them and how they train them.'
Southgate also went on to explain that due to England only having 10 matches a year, it's important they have their best players whenever possible. He stated: 'We’ve got that responsibility of qualifying for the country but, I’ve been a player. I’ve never ever taken a risk on a player’s physical wellbeing. And nor would I.'
It's clear that Southgate is prioritising Saka's wellbeing and will make sure he is fit and ready for the upcoming matches. Although the winger is in contention for Arsenal's Premier League clash with Manchester City this weekend, Southgate is ensuring he will not be taking any risks with his injury.
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