England forward Bukayo Saka has conveyed to manager Thomas Tuchel that he felt capable of contributing more during the team's World Cup campaign. England concluded their tournament by defeating France 6-4 in the bronze medal match, with Saka scoring a hat-trick.
Saka, who started three of the eight games, expressed his desire for increased playing time after the match. "Of course, I would love to have played more," Saka told the BBC. "But of course, it's not the time to talk about that now. I try to do my talking on the pitch. It's done now. Move on."
Tuchel had indicated that Saka's game time was managed due to fitness concerns. However, when questioned about his readiness for Arsenal's pre-season, Saka stated, "Yeah. I'm fit. I'm fit."
Fans had expressed surprise at Saka's limited involvement, particularly against Argentina, with many assuming he was injured. It has since emerged that the decision was based on team selection rather than fitness, with Morgan Rogers being chosen to start in the semi-final against Argentina.
Tuchel commented on his decision-making after the match against France: "He did everything right. I had just a feeling in the semi-final for Morgan Rogers that he would be involved in something special. That was it. The game was so in demand that we were forced into changes because of cramps and flow of the game. Bukayo showed he was a key player, that was never a doubt. I was not even aware he had a hat-trick (against France). I lost the overview of the goalscorers."
Saka's performance in the bronze medal match, where he scored three goals, capped England's World Cup tournament.