Saka compared with Messi, Salah

<p>Former Chelsea midfielder, Joe Cole, has compared Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka to Lionel Messi after England were held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine in Saturday’s Euro 2024 qualifying.</p>, <p>Saka put up another impressive performance for the Three Lions despite the result.</p>, <p>The 22-year-old came close to securing all points but his powerful effort came back off the crossbar.</p>, <p>This week, Saka made the 30-man shortlist for the 2023 Ballon d’Or and now Cole has ranked him alongside some of the best forwards in football.</p>, <p>“You can’t defend against Saka because he’s got this ability like Lionel Messi where he takes it backwards.</p>, <p>“So the defender, you can stop him but he takes it back and he’s still got the ability to whip it with so much power.</p>, <p>“There’s only a few players – Mo Salah’s got it, Lionel Messi’s got it and Bukayo Saka’s got it. When he gets in that position, he’s clinical,” Cole told Channel 4.</p>