Bukayo Saka doesn’t look like himself. That’s not just a fan theory or a hot take from a random pundit — it came straight from Gary Neville and Ian Wright, two guys who have watched him closely for years.
Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast that the Arsenal winger seems off, and he’s worried about it. “Bukayo Saka doesn’t look right at all,” Neville said. “He’s usually the boy that’s bubbling and smiling, he’s got that competitive edge to him, but he’s not right and that’s a concern to us I think.”
Saka’s slow start at the World Cup
England eased Saka into this tournament because he’s been dealing with an Achilles issue after an injury-marred 2025/26 season. He finally made his first start in the group stage against Panama, a 2-0 win, but it wasn’t the kind of performance anyone remembers. Limited impact. No spark. And now the question is whether he keeps that spot in the round of 32 against DR Congo.
Wright didn’t sugarcoat it either. “We’re going into a World Cup, and still not starting the first few games, only starting when we’re three games in, and still isn’t looking like the Saka that we know – this guy needs a break.”
It’s not just Saka. The entire England wing corps has been underwhelming in this tournament. Wright and Roy Keane both pointed out that none of the wide players have grabbed their chances. “I can’t remember too many tournaments where you’re feeling like you’re on the edge, I feel like that’s normal,” Wright said. “But there are a lot of people [in the England squad] who are not up to speed. Our wingers, and the way we depend on the wingers are not doing well enough.”
Keane was blunt: “The wingers need to grab their opportunity. These players [wingers] haven’t quite grabbed their opportunity yet. In the group games, you can maybe slip up in one of them, but now at least one of them has to start turning up.”
Saka knew the risk
Before the tournament, Saka admitted he was rolling the dice on his fitness. “As players, it’s the biggest gamble, especially if you’re not feeling your sharpest,” he said. “You have the choice whether you don’t play or you put yourself out there knowing people are going to judge you the same. I’m happy to take the gamble. It paid off, I’d say. I’m going to continue doing that. At the end of the day, people don’t really care how you’re feeling, they expect you to deliver.”
That quote sounds a little different now. Saka took the gamble, but so far it hasn’t paid off in the way England needed. The knockout rounds start now, and the margin for error shrinks fast. England needs the real Saka to show up, not the version who’s been playing through pain and looking like his mind is somewhere else.
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