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Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has advised England head coach Thomas Tuchel to leave Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka out of the Three Lions’ starting lineup for their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup fixture against Croatia on Wednesday.

Petit argued that the Arsenal star failed to impress during last season’s UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.

The former French international also claimed that the 24-year-old has not been delivering the level of influence expected from him in recent matches.

When asked whether Saka should start England’s first game against Croatia, Petit told talkSPORT: “No; for me, no.”

“We saw that in the Champions League final, he was struggling.

“He doesn’t make any impact anymore. I think there are better players who deserve to be in the first XI.

“And we’re not talking about Zidane or Messi, that kind of player, who even at 60 per cent, they should be on the pitch. Saka is not that kind of player.”

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