Why Is Bukayo Saka Not Playing Today for England vs Croatia at the World Cup - Injured or Dropped?

England and Croatia meet in a rematch of the 2018 FIFA World Cup semifinal, a game that ended England's hopes of reaching the final after Croatia came from behind to win in extra time.

Eight years later, the two nations face off again on the World Cup stage. With a new manager and fresh faces in the squad, Harry Kane and co. will be aiming to start their 2026 World Cup campaign with a win while also avenging the painful defeat.

While Kane, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, and Jude Bellingham form the backbone of England's lineup for the Group L opener, Thomas Tuchel has chosen not to include Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka in the starting XI.

Why is Bukayo Saka Not Playing Against Croatia?

Thomas Tuchel has decided not to risk Bukayo Saka in England's opening World Cup match against Croatia on June 17, opting to manage his fitness instead

The 24-year-old missed around a month toward the end of the season with Arsenal due to an Achilles tendon injury and was still working his way back to full fitness heading into the tournament.

Addressing Saka's fitness, Tuchel said he wanted a strong bench and added that Saka had come through training well, delivering an excellent session ahead of the match.

"Bukayo Saka yesterday had an incredible training session and deserved to start but we will not start and finish this match with 11 players. We need a strong bench and we have players who can influence and change matches from the bench, that's very important."

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 12:53 PM.