England was terrific with a 4-2 win over Croatia on Matchday 1, but injuries have become a concern for the Three Lions. Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford are each battling injuries as key players in England’s attack.
Saka did not start and was limited vs. Croatia due to an Achilles injury. Is that injury expected to impact Tuesday, June 23’s England vs. Ghana match at 4 p.m. ET on FOX?
Let’s look at the latest Bukayo Saka injury update, if he will play on Tuesday, and how his role could impact England vs. Ghana picks for PrizePicks.
Make your England vs. Ghana picks for World Cup 2026 on PrizePicks now!
{{worldcup_generic_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Bukayo Saka Injury Update: Is Saka Playing Today vs. Ghana?
Saka — the standout winger from Arsenal — has been battling Achilles tendinitis since March. That’s an injury that usually lingers, which has been the case.
On Matchday 1 vs. Croatia, Saka was available but was not in the starting lineup. Instead, England limited his role to 18 minutes as a substitute.
Ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Ghana, England manager Thomas Tuchel said Saka “is ready to go” and that he “feels no more pain.”
This was a big shift compared to England supporters in panic after Saka missed training over the weekend.
While England’s superstar right winger is expected to play today, his role is still unknown. Will he start, or will Saka come off the bench once again?
What England Players to Target for PrizePicks if Saka Is Limited?
The Three Lions are benefitting from a fast start, as Croatia was expected to be the toughest test of the group stage. England is officially on to the knockout stage with a win vs. Ghana, and PrizePicks Team has the English as notable favorites with a 1.16x payout to win.
England also carries a 1.17x payout to win vs. Panama on Saturday. With that said, the Three Lions have the luxury of not rushing Saka back into a full-time role.
This squad has their sights set on the ultimate prize, with the fourth-shortest payout to win the 2026 World Cup (6.66x), via PrizePicks Team Picks. That means being absolutely certain Saka is fully fit for the later stages of the tournament.
Frankly, the Three Lions could be just fine without Saka until as far as the Round of 16 or Quarterfinals. That was proven by Matchday 1’s thorough 4-2 win over Croatia, who ranks 17th in our latest World Cup Power Rankings. Where’s England? Among the very best, sitting third.
It’d be a surprise to see Saka in the starting lineup today, meaning right winger Noni Madueke will likely be in the starting XI for the second consecutive game on Tuesday.
After landing with Barcelona before the World Cup, left winger Anthony Gordon started over Marcus Rashford on Matchday 1. That may continue with Rashford battling hamstring tightness.
We have a clear picture of who could benefit from Saka in a limited role for England vs. Ghana picks on PrizePicks. Let’s look at each player’s projections vs. Ghana today.
- RW Noni Madueke — 32.5 Passes Attempted / 1.5 Shots (Goblin) / 2 Shots Assisted
- LW Anthony Gordon — 2 Attempted Dribbles / 2.5 Shots (Demon) / 0.5 Assists (Demon)
- ST Harry Kane — 2.5 Shots (Taco Tuesday Discount) / 22.5 Passes Attempted / 19 Fantasy Score
Focusing on the winger positions, Gordon had an underwhelming performance vs. Croatia, totaling only 2 shots, an 81.8% successful pass rate (45th percentile), and 17 touches (fourth percentile), via FotMob.
Madueke also had limited usage with 26 touches (12th percentile), but he made the most of those opportunities by logging 1 big chance created and a 94.4% successful pass rate (94th percentile).
Experimenting with lineups and usage never stops in the World Cup, especially for heavyweights in the group stage. England may look to feed Madueke more work following a strong showing vs. Croatia.
Combine England to Win + Noni Madueke picks on PrizePicks
{{worldcup_generic_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Make England vs. Ghana World Cup 2026 Picks on PrizePicks
We should see Bukayo Saka in some form or fashion today, but his appearance will likely come off the bench once again. If Saka is not in the starting lineup, Noni Madueke becomes an immediate target for PrizePicks projections as the starting right winger.
Don’t wait until lock — make your England vs. Ghana picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.
Pick World Cup players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on World Cup match winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stay locked in on Playbook for daily World Cup 2026 predictions, picks, news, and analysis.
Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d/b/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every state.Event contract trading carries significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. No guarantee against loss is offered. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results.Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com/predict-regulatory. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.
