Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has played down concerns of a potential injury picked up in England’s win over Serbia on Thursday.
Saka opened the scoring for the Three Lions with a delightful volley midway through the first half but, after celebrating, was quickly seen gesturing to the bench, rolling his hands in a gesture which often means a player is requesting a substitution.
The 24-year-old was visibly uncomfortable in the immediate aftermath but ended up playing the full 90 minutes of the World Cup qualifier, after which Saka clarified he was not asking to be withdrawn from the game.
“I just wanted to change my boots,” Saka, who missed part of the start of the season with a hamstring injury, explained. “That was it.”
Indeed, not long after Saka’s message to the bench, he rushed over to the touchline for a change of footwear, allowing him to continue the game.
