Keane says injured Saka 'shouldn't be here' as Neville warns England winger doesn't look right

Roy Keane has argued Bukayo Saka has no business being at the World Cup if he cannot perform at full capacity, with Gary Neville and Ian Wright adding their voices to growing concern over the Arsenal winger’s fitness in the tournament.

Saka has been managing an Achilles problem for several months, an issue that curtailed his involvement in the closing weeks of the Premier League season. At the World Cup, it has restricted him to a single start — 63 minutes in England’s 2-0 victory over Panama — with substitute appearances of 18 minutes against Croatia and 25 minutes in the goalless draw with Ghana.

“He doesn’t look sharp. Physically is he trusting his body? If he’s having all these issues and you’re looking at the bigger picture then he shouldn’t be here, should he?” Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast. “He should be resting. If you know in your head you’re not your sharpest you’ll stop taking people on and stop playing your natural game.”

Neville drew parallels with previous England tournaments, warning that a major competition is no place to recover fitness. “He doesn’t look right at all. It’s a concern when you say your number one right-winger has to be rested and come on,” he said. “Rooney came to a tournament and was not quite right, Beckham came to a tournament and wasn’t quite right. You can’t get your fitness in a tournament, this is not pre-season training. I do think he is going to have to be a sub player and he’s going to have to come off the bench.”

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright echoed those concerns, questioning when the 24-year-old will get the rest he clearly needs. “He’s trying to play through this World Cup, but then the season starts again so when is this guy going to get the rest he, for me, looks like he needs,” Wright said.

England’s problems on the right flank extend beyond Saka. Tino Livramento was forced to withdraw before the tournament began, while both Reece James and his replacement Jarell Quansah — primarily a central defender — have since picked up knocks. The succession of injuries has renewed scrutiny of Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the squad entirely.

Neville was pointed in his criticism of that selection logic. “I thought to myself, how have we got to a situation — and it can’t be what Thomas Tuchel planned — where he picked two players who are injury prone, they have not been robust,” he said.