Why Kyle Walker backs Thomas Tuchel to unleash Bukayo Saka

Former England defender Kyle Walker believes Bukayo Saka is ready to step up at the 2026 World Cup, backing Thomas Tuchel to unleash the Arsenal winger when knockout football demands it. After an Achilles-managed group stage, Saka has two assists and earned a Panama start — yet Tuchel still rotates him with Noni Madueke as England advance.

England's World Cup campaign has reached the last 16, but the debate over Bukayo Saka's role has only intensified. The Times argues it is time for Tuchel to stop nursing his star winger and field his best team. Kyle Walker, who won 96 caps for the Three Lions, agrees — and his public backing adds weight to a selection puzzle that could define England's summer.

Key Takeaways

• Kyle Walker says Bukayo Saka must "take games by the scruff of the neck" alongside Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham as England enter the knockout rounds.
• Tuchel managed Saka through an Achilles issue with substitute appearances against Croatia and Ghana before handing him a first start against Panama.
• Noni Madueke started England's opener and returned for the Round of 32 win over DR Congo, while Saka came off the bench with two tournament assists — the most of any England player.
• The New York Times Athletic frames the Saka-versus-Madueke call as England's central right-wing conundrum, with rotation likely through the group stage but stakes rising now.
• England beat DR Congo 2-1 on July 1 to reach the last 16, with Kane scoring twice late after Brian Cipenga's early opener.

Why does Kyle Walker think Saka will "come into" the World Cup now?

Speaking ahead of England's Round of 32 tie against DR Congo, Kyle Walker told Football365 that Kane and Bellingham cannot carry the attack alone. "These players need to perform, of course they do, but you need others to step up as well," Walker said. "And I feel Bukayo Saka is going to come into it now."

Walker described Saka as "an incredible player" who has been "nothing short of brilliant" across recent seasons despite injury setbacks. He added that Saka, as one of England's more senior figures, must seize control of matches the way Kane and Bellingham routinely do.

Walker's intervention lands at a pivotal moment. England scraped through a tense evening in Atlanta, and he stressed the wider level must rise: "England are going to have to start playing their best football now."

How has Thomas Tuchel managed Bukayo Saka so far?

Tuchel arrived balancing Saka's quality against an Achilles problem carried since March. The Athletic reported England's medical staff planned similar care once the campaign began.

Against Croatia, Madueke started on the right while Saka came on in the 72nd minute and assisted Marcus Rashford's fourth goal in a 4-2 win. Tuchel hinted Saka was unlikely to start against Ghana, saying the final group game against Panama was the moment to push him further. "He seems to be more and more ready and will hopefully push," Tuchel said after the Croatia match. "We will then see."

The goalless draw with Ghana underscored England's need for sharper attacking play. Until Saka entered in the 60th minute, The Times noted, England struggled to create chances of note. Tuchel later admitted England "desperately" need Saka in top shape, but refused to load expectation on one player: "It's not like Bukayo comes back and everything is solved and I don't want to put this on his back."

Panama brought the breakthrough. Tuchel made five changes and handed Saka his first start. The Times rated him England's most dangerous player in the first half, and he set up Bellingham's opener from a quickly taken corner as England clinched Group L.

Which winger should start: Saka or Noni Madueke?

The New York Times Athletic posed the question directly in late June: which Arsenal winger should start? The answer, before kickoff in Dallas, looked like Madueke. He won the penalty Kane converted against Croatia and was among England's brightest threats in the first half. Saka, meanwhile, called competing with his club teammate for minutes at international level "unique," adding that "it works" between them.

Tuchel has praised Madueke's one-on-one ability and called him a potential "difference-maker." The Athletic also reported a case for rotating the pair during the group stage, particularly while Saka rebuilds match fitness. Yet the same coverage stressed that when fully fit, Saka remains England's preferred right winger — a player with defensive diligence and tactical flexibility few alternatives replicate.

That tension resurfaced against DR Congo. Madueke started on the right; Saka was on the bench despite his Panama performance. Tuchel told the BBC the call meant Saka would "finish the match for us," signalling a finisher role rather than a fitness setback. Saka entered alongside Anthony Gordon as England chased a comeback. Kane's late brace secured a 2-1 win and a last-16 date with Mexico.

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What does The Times say about unleashing England's best XI?

Commentary in The Times frames the Saka question as part of a wider knockout puzzle. Tuchel was hired as a "super-elite" problem-solver, and the paper argues there is a case for caution with Saka's workload — but "an even bigger one for simply fielding your best team." DR Congo proved stubborn; England needed Kane's composure rather than a single winger's brilliance to advance.

Still, Saka's set-piece delivery — including the out-swinging corner that unlocked Panama — gives England tactical variety Tuchel has yet to exhaust. The New York Times Athletic reinforces that neither winger has locked down the role, while Walker expects Saka to convert potential into match-defining influence.

Where does England go from here?

England's 2-1 victory over DR Congo on July 1 booked a last-16 meeting with Mexico. Kane's brace carried the night, but Saka has created more chances than any teammate despite limited minutes.

Tuchel's "starters and finishers" model kept Saka in reserve against DR Congo even after his Panama start. Walker's message is blunt: the squad cannot rely on two stars alone. If Tuchel unleashes Saka from the first whistle in the rounds ahead, he bets on a player who has already influenced two goals — and whom Kyle Walker believes still has his best football to offer.