Bukayo Saka [Daniela-Porcelli/SPP]

THOMAS Tuchel is ready to wrap Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka up in cotton wool as England prepare for their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday night.

Saka is fresh from helping the Gunners win their first Premier League title in 22 years. But the 24-year-old has struggled to rediscover his best form since being sidelined with an achilles injury.

With additional group games against Ghana and Panama in store, there are concerns about just how many minutes Saka can handle.

Speaking before the big kick-off, Tuchel admitted: “We still have to take a little bit of care for Bukayo, who had an injury in March and carried it through the club campaign. He made himself available at the end of the season and did so brilliantly, but he was managed in between matches.

“That continues a bit at the moment – we are building him up. We just came from training and everyone was involved including Bukayo.”