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Topics: Arsenal, England, France, Football World Cup, Premier League, Bukayo Saka, Ian Wright
Ryan Smart
Topics: Arsenal, England, France, Football World Cup, Premier League, Bukayo Saka, Ian Wright
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has shared the reason he has been told for Bukayo Saka's substitution during England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.
Saka was arguably England's best player on Saturday evening, causing the French defence plenty of problems whilst winning the Three Lions' first penalty of the match.
It was his best performance of a World Cup that saw him net a total of three goals. He is therefore England's joint top scorer in Qatar, alongside Marcus Rashford.
With the scores at 2-1 to France, some fans questioned Gareth Southgate's decision to take the Arsenal man off, given his influence on the match to that point.
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England were unable to get themselves back into the game, losing to a France side that will take on Morocco in the semi-final on Wednesday evening.
Speaking on his podcast, 'Wrighty's House', Wright has given a potential reason as to Southgate's reasoning behind the decision.
He said: "They're saying that Saka may have had a little knock. He started to tear Hernandez to pieces. He didn't know what to do with him.
"If [Saka] stays on, we win the game, if he wasn't injured. I can't see any other reason for him to be taken off.
"In the first half he was getting into it, and they got away with some fouls on him, and they got it off of him to go and score the first goal.
"But you could see that he was just fractions away from it happening. The touch, the movement, and then they just get a toe in."
Saka will now return to domestic action, with Arsenal's first game upon the resumption of Premier League action taking place on Boxing Day at home to West Ham.
According to the Daily Mail, both Saka and fellow England and Arsenal player Aaron Ramsdale will rejoin training by the end of the week.
Ben White has already returned to training and played in the 2-1 Dubai Super Cup win over AC Milan, but he did not feature in the World Cup and left the Three Lions camp early due to personal reasons.