Lineker Sees Hope for England's World Cup Dreams Amid Player Freshness
Gary Lineker believes that England could leverage an unexpected advantage at the upcoming World Cup due to the freshness of key players returning from injury-disrupted seasons. As Thomas Tuchel’s squad prepares to kick off their campaign against Croatia on 17 June in Dallas, the team aims to end a 60-year drought for major international trophies. Lineker, set to co-host a Netflix show titled The Rest Is Football during the tournament, noted that the time on the sidelines for players like Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham could turn out to be beneficial. He remarked: "I quite like the way Saka has returned to form at the end of the season. Saka’s had his injuries, but I also look at some of our players and I think, especially the ones with spells out, normally you look at our players – particularly from the Premier League – and they look a little bit knackered." Lineker highlighted the importance of players like Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, and others who have experienced rest periods, suggesting that this freshness could enhance England's performance. Addressing the scrutiny surrounding Tuchel’s squad selections, especially after the omission of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, Lineker expressed confidence in the manager’s ability to handle pressure: "It is always the same... It is just the nature of football because everyone has got a different opinion." Reflecting on England’s historical challenges, Lineker, who played a significant role in the team reaching the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, shared his hopes for victory: "When it’s your team you can be more critical, but the one thing we all want is to do the damn thing and win it. It would be glorious... I think it will be tough this one, for lots of reasons, but I don’t think it is impossible. I think we’re with an outside shot."
Source: The Independent Sport - 2026-06-02