Bukayo Saka defends his misleading English teammates while Arsenal Star opens on the extent of his injury nightmare for Senegal Test

At a time that England Focus is reducing a trip to America next summer, Bukayo Saka is able to introduce a dose of perspective.

It was not so long since the height of the Arsenal The player’s ambition was to be from an armchair to the Christmas Dining table before his food got cold.

Saka will make his first start for Thomas TuchelThe England against Senegal in Nottingham recovered on Tuesday evening from a hamstring tear that ruined the second half of his domestic season.

According to the 23-year-old, with a forced resignation, a fresh and other approach to his life and football has become. Lying on Christmas Eve on a surgeon, a player can do at 5 o’clock in the morning.

“It was Christmas and the surgeons wanted to be with their families, so I had to do it at the time,” Saka recalled.

‘Credit to the surgeon – he got up early to do it. I was out of the hospital and at home at around 4 p.m. Christmas day I went to my cousin’s house, but I was in a big brace and had crutches.

‘I had to bring my presents to me that I know it doesn’t sound the worst!

‘When everyone got up to go to the dining room, it took me about ten minutes to get there. Such little things. It was just very painful to get up.

“I had gone with a right football from five years. Then everything stops. You are on crutches, in the hospital and you need help at home for the first few weeks.

‘In those periods it is mentally a real test and then it is about the days in the gym, whether you want to work or not, on the field when it rains and you are only with the physios and you have to do the extra run and extra effort.

“It’s about how much you want it, and I wanted it a lot.”

Saka is in a small room in St George’s park. To his right there is a large photo on the wall of him that is celebrating one of his twelve England goals.

On Tuesday at the city he will be part of a national team with a number of inventing. He was not involved against Andorra when England worked for a 1-0 victory in Barcelona on Saturday, but heard the sound that was followed.

Even Tuchel doubted the attitude of the English players after the game and that led us to ask Saka why it is that this version of the national team seems to play better against more controversial opposition such as the Netherlands (in the last euro), Italy (twice in qualifying) and France-there loss (in the last world cup).

“It’s a good question and I can’t answer every player, but of course in the larger games everyone will give a little more,” he admits.

‘In these other games we have to find a level where we can retain the same quality and drive to the entire game.

‘It is sometimes not easy, but we have to find that and get these games over the line.

‘I think the expectation is to win instead of entertaining. If you can have both, then perfect. But we feel more that the expectation is to win instead of entertaining.

‘Managers in the past – and now Thomas – have tried to work on the coherence, that chemistry, who try to play good football.

‘At the end of the day we as players just want to win. The fans also want the same thing. That is the most important thing that this country needs at the moment. ‘

Winning is perhaps a sensitive subject in Saka’s club this summer after another season of great promise ended with nothing tangible to hold.

With a light grimas, Saka admits that he has watched Tottenham’s Europa League -final victory on TV – ‘It is as it was, right? – And that it hurt to watch other clubs from London – such as Crystal Palace in the FA Cup – Til Majeur Silverwerk.

“Yes of course, of course,” he says.

“Because you want you to be.”

However, living on the past serves as a little purpose for Saka as in England, however, and the young winger has had some help with that.

“I love reading and when I was injured, I got more time to read a few non-fiction books,” he says.

‘One of the books I received through Carlos Cuesta [Arsenal coach] Was mentioned: “The power of today”.

“It’s really a good book. The point is not to think about the past, not to think about the future.

‘Just be in the moment and always ask yourself what is needed now.

“Sometimes I could think:” Oh, am I going back in the best form? ” Or: “What could I have done to prevent injury?”

“But all of that is not necessary. It is only going to bring bad energy, bringing negativity for your body. ‘

A victim of Saka’s injury was his cockapoo Tucker who arrived as a puppy while he was incapacitated for work.

“He is a puppy and I couldn’t really follow him,” he laughs.

“But it was a good experience. It was funny. ‘

As part of the leadership group of Tuchel, Saka was one of the first players to make a phone call from his New England manager after his appointment last fall. He had to wait a while to get started.

“Yes, he stuck contact me and talked to me about where he sees me in this group and my responsibilities,” he says.

‘I was unable to be in the first camp and did not play the first game this time, but hopefully I can be involved this week and start a good start among him.

‘This is about being a team, as a team to play, to get chemistry going, learning lessons in these qualifications, so when the World Cup we come ready for something.

‘Sometimes countries and defending just come. It is up to us to find a breakthrough. Sometimes we do that, sometimes not. Sometimes the reaction is a bit too analyzed for our performance and sometimes it is justified.

‘The most important point and the most important thing we think is to win is. That’s what matters’