Southgate hopes Saka could face Italy and asks FA medics to assess injury
Gareth Southgate remains optimistic that Bukayo Saka will be fit and ready to play for England against Italy in their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier, even though the talented winger was not available for Arsenal's game against Manchester City owing to a hamstring injury.
On Monday afternoon, Saka attended England duty, but Arsenal is concerned that he has not been given enough rest during the international break. Mikel Arteta expressed his thoughts on the issue after Sunday's game against City, mentioning that the 22-year-old is presently "unavailable for playing football" and would not be able to compete for his country.
Nevertheless, it is within England's right to demand that Saka report to the squad for evaluation by their medical personnel, given that he suffered a minor hamstring injury during Arsenal's defeat at Lens last week.
Saka has been a crucial player for Southgate, evidenced by his record-breaking run of 87 consecutive starts in the Premier League. However, his streak came to an end on Sunday. England currently tops Group A with 13 points from five games, and Southgate is determined to field his strongest possible team when Italy comes to Wembley. While Saka is not expected to play in the upcoming friendly against Australia, it would be a positive development if he were considered for the Italy match.
Arsenal wants Saka to take care of his recovery for the next two weeks. Southgate is asking Arsenal to have faith in him, as he wants to make sure that Saka is well taken care of.
The manager of England's team stated that the clubs believe in our ability to make choices that will benefit us in the future, whenever possible. Last week, he announced the list of players chosen for the squad. We only get to play around 10 matches each year, so it's crucial to make the right decisions. There have been instances when Bukayo hasn't been given the chance to play.
In specific crucial matches, it's important to have your top-performing players, if it's feasible. Qualifying for our nation is an obligation, but as a former player, I've never endangered someone's physical health and I never will.
Southgate relies on a variety of players as wide options, including Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford. Additionally, Southgate values having injured players join the England camp.
Even if Saka is not in good health, he may still participate in important group gatherings. Even though he was hurt, Jude Bellingham showed up for duty before the qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia last summer.
It's a historic moment for the world of football as England and Australia go head to head, with Stéphanie Frappart being appointed as the first female referee to oversee a men's international match at Wembley. Frappart has already made history by leading an all-female refereeing team at a men's World Cup during the Germany v Costa Rica match in Qatar last year.
