World Cup 2026: He struggled against PSG – Petit tells Tuchel to drop Arsenal star
Emmanuel Petit, a former French international footballer, has called on England manager Thomas Tuchel to reconsider including Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka in the starting lineup for the national team’s opening World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday.
Petit pointed to Saka’s performance in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain last season as a reason for his recommendation. He stated that the 24-year-old has not produced significant contributions lately.
When asked whether Saka should start in the match against Croatia, Petit responded, “No; for me, no… He was struggling in the Champions League final. He doesn’t make any impact anymore. I think there are better players who deserve to be in the first XI.”
He emphasized that while elite players like Zinedine Zidane or Lionel Messi could still be effective even at a fraction of their best, Saka does not fall into that category.
