Everything Mikel Arteta said about Bukayo Saka as Arsenal star suffers pre-Leeds injury blow
Arsenal supporters will be holding their collective breaths over the fitness of Bukayo Saka after the winger withdrew from the squad to face Leeds United.
Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a setback against Man United, as the Gunners continue to hunt for the Premier League title, but got back to winning ways at Elland Road on Saturday, 31 January.
They were forced to do so without their star-studded academy graduate, however, with Noni Madueke coming into the lineup after the 24-year-old pulled up during the warm-ups.
Arsenal fans have been impressed by Madueke this season, despite early suggestions that the club may have overpaid for him in the summer, and he was given a rare start following the injury blow.
It was not the news that the away fans wanted to see, with Kai Havertz and others returning from injury recently, and the manager has now shared an update on the situation.
Mikel Arteta confirms the worst about Bukayo Saka
Arteta has recently spoken about the positive problem of having too many talented players to choose from, often upsetting somebody on the bench, but yet another issue has emerged for the Gunners.
Speaking in his post-match press conference (31 January), he said: “We don’t know yet. He had a little niggle in the warm-up,” before turning his attention to Madueke.
“He had a little niggle; he wasn’t comfortable to start the game. So, we made the decision straight away. We’ll do some tests tomorrow and see how it is.”
He continued: “You have to be thrown out there when you least expect it, and he reacted really well,” after the replacement winger grabbed an assist.
Saka’s worrying injury trend continues in North London
With Pep Guardiola‘s Man City slowly closing the gap at the top of the Premier League table, an injury to Saka is the last thing that the North London side would have wanted.
The winger has already missed six games for club and country this season due to a hamstring injury, with the same issue keeping him sidelined for 21 games for Arsenal and England last term.
He was unavailable through two other problems last season, thanks to thigh and muscle injuries, while also missing 10 games during the 2023-24 campaign.
While he remains an integral part of the squad, currently sitting on seven goals and five assists across all competitions, his injury problems continue to cause frustrations amongst the fanbase.
Many have wondered exactly why so many of Arteta’s players are picking up long-term injuries, so the manager may need to start resting one of two big names in the second half of the season.