Arsenal hit by shattering new Bukayo Saka blow ahead of Liverpool showdown
Arsenal are expecting Bukayo Saka to miss Sunday’s (October 27) Premier League showdown against Liverpool.
The Gunners wide forward, 23, remains sidelined after he limped off during England’s shock Nations League defeat to Greece at Wembley with an apparent hamstring issue.
Arsenal’s public stance as of Tuesday (October 22) night is that he is not expected to be fit to face Liverpool and, privately, sources have told Football Insider there is little hope he will make a return in the next week.
There was initial optimism at Arsenal that the injury was minor and that he could face Bournemouth last Saturday, but the winger missed the defeat and the narrow win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta has now confirmed that Saka is “unlikely” to be fit for the top-of-the-table clash, telling Prime Video before the game, “He wasn’t able to do the session in the way that we wanted. He wasn’t still feeling good so it wasn’t good news,”
He then added after the Champions League game, “I don’t know [if Saka will be fit to face Liverpool]. He hasn’t been able to train yet so that’s unlikely.”
Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka set to miss pivotal Liverpool clash
With two goals and seven assists in just seven Premier League games so far this season, the England international is one of Arsenal’s main creative outlets.
His absence was keenly felt in their 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth as they struggled to break the South Coast side down before going down to ten men and parking the bus.
Mikel Arteta’s team may face Liverpool without seven first-team players. Injuries have sidelined Saka, Martin Odegaard, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, and Kieran Tierney, while William Saliba is also unavailable due to suspension.
Arsenal remain in third place despite their shock defeat to Bournemouth but are now four points off Liverpool at the top of the table.
If they were to lose to Arne Slot’s high flyers, Arsenal’s hopes of finally lifting the Premier League title may already be dead in the water.
In other news, Arsenal recruitment team’s Bryan Mbeumo plan revealed.
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