•Bukayo Saka
Mikel Arteta said Bukayo Saka’s recurring hamstring injuries are a “big concern” after the Arsenal winger was ruled out for at least two weeks.
Saka was forced off in the second half of Arsenal’s win against Leeds last weekend and will be sidelined for tomorrow’s trip to Premier League champions Liverpool, reports AFP.
The 23-year-old could be in a position to return to action next month, but Gunners boss Arteta is worried about his star forward’s cycle of injuries.
Saka missed three-and-a-half months of last season following surgery on his right hamstring in December.
He returned in April and played 13 times before sustaining the latest hamstring issue, this time in his left leg, in just his second appearance of this season.
“He does not need surgery. It’s not as bad as the previous one. He felt something, so he will be out for a couple of weeks,” Arteta told reporters yesterday.
“But it is obviously a concern, a big one, especially when we talk about a sprinter and a player that gets into that zone very often in a football match, who needs that burst, that change of rhythm of pace to be as threatening as possible.
“We will learn again as to why it happened and make him stronger. Unfortunately injuries are part of a career. He hasn’t had that many to be fair with the amount of games that he has played at his age but it is something that we want to eradicate.”
Arteta could be without as many as seven players for Arsenal’s early showdown with title rivals Liverpool at Anfield.
Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are all out, while Martin Odegaard, Christian Norgaard, Leandro Trossard and Ben White are doubts.
Havertz underwent what the club described as a minor surgical procedure on his knee this week.
Odegaard could feature after falling awkwardly on his shoulder in the win over Leeds.
“It is very unfortunate, and very sad for him,” said Arteta of Havertz, who missed three months of last season with a hamstring injury.
“He did tremendously well to recover from the previous one. He’s never had an injury before. And suddenly this happens.
“Obviously, we lose another big player for many, many weeks. But it was the right thing to do. The doctors advised, and he was very convinced at the end, that it was the quickest and the best way to resolve that issue.”
Arsenal finished as runners-up to Liverpool last season, coming 10 points behind Arne Slot’s side.
Asked if Liverpool are the favourites to retain the crown, Arteta said: “The favourite is always the one that won the previous year.
“Somebody has to come and take that crown away from them so that is what we will try to do. The aim is to be better than them.”
