Bukayo Saka has reported for England duty this week despite being injured in order to aid preparations for Euro 2024, i understands.
Saka, 22, missed his first Premier League game for more than two years on Sunday due to a hamstring problem picked up last week in the Champions League defeat to Lens.
It was the third game in a row in which the winger had been forced off with some sort of injury, and after Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday, manager Mikel Arteta said Saka would not be available for England’s upcoming fixtures against Australia and Italy.
“He couldn’t make it. He hasn’t had a single training session so he will be out. He’s not available to play football at the moment,” Arteta said.
However, clubs are obliged by Fifa regulations to release players for international matches and i understands England are keen to ensure they make use of every available opportunity to work with players, even if it is in an off-field capacity, with Euro 2024 just eight months away.
Gareth Southgate’s side could book their place in Germany as soon as next Tuesday if results elsewhere go their way.
But even if they do so with two games to spare, Southgate is still conscious of how little time he will have with his players between now and next June’s tournament.
As such, Saka has indeed reported to St George’s Park where England physios will add their own assessment of his condition to that of Arsenal’s medical staff.
And while the 30-time England international is not expected to play against Australia on Friday, it is understood he will still take part in off-field meetings as part of England’s preparations for Euro 2024.
Last week, Southgate insisted he would “never” take a risk on any player’s fitness.
“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,” said Southgate.
“They [Premier League clubs] have trust in us that we make decisions that are right for the long term whenever we can.”
That relationship between club and country has not always been so straightforward though. Several of Sir Alex Ferguson’s players in his legendary Manchester United sides have described the disdain with which he appeared to treat international duty.
Nicky Butt said he was told by his then-United manager to pull out of the squad while Rio Ferdinand, who won 81 caps for England, said: “You’d be going away, you’d finish a game on Saturday, you’d win a game on Saturday, and [Ferguson] would go, ‘Right, I’ll see you after the international break, boys’.
“And he’ll go like, ‘You, you and you, if you play more than 45 minutes I’m going to kill you when you get back’.
“So it would be in the back of your mind, you’d be thinking, ‘Oh my god, I’m under pressure when I come back’.
“I’d have played 90 minutes and you’re walking into training and he’s sitting looking at you like, ‘What did I tell you?’.
“It was mad.”
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