Thomas Tuchel has declared that “the competition is on” for places in his England attack, warning Bukayo Saka he must continue to fight for his spot despite a goalscoring return in the 3-0 friendly win over Wales.
Tuchel Welcomes Headache as Saka and Madueke Fight for One Spot
The German manager heaped praise on Saka but also highlighted the strong form of the injured Noni Madueke, creating a selection headache he welcomes.
Saka, marking his first England appearance since June, put in a lively performance and capped it with a superb curling strike into the top corner at Wembley. Despite this, Tuchel was clear that the Arsenal forward’s place is not guaranteed.
Tuchel explicitly stated that Saka and Madueke are in direct contention for the role on the right of England’s attack. He acknowledged Madueke’s excellent contributions before his injury, creating a healthy rivalry within the squad.
“Good. That’s what we want,” Tuchel replied when asked about the selection problem the two wingers create.
“Noni is unfortunately injured. Noni was excellent in the last camp, he was electric.
He then continued to play for his club while Bukayo was out for Arsenal in the same manner. We were very, very sad that he’s now injured, but Saka stepped up.”
For Saka, the match represented an important step in regaining his full fitness after an injury-disrupted start to the season. Tuchel noted that while the performance was good, there is still room for improvement.
“I still feel there is a step to go for Bukayo to regain his rhythm, naturally after one or two injuries now, to regain his rhythm and his stamina,” Tuchel said.
“Then, he is a very important player for us and he will fight for his place because that’s what he does.”
Saka himself has expressed his delight at returning to the England setup, stating he is “starting to feel good again” after his injury and is motivated by the internal competition.
With Madueke expected to be sidelined until mid-November, Saka has a clear opportunity to re-establish himself, but Tuchel’s message is clear: every player must earn their place.
