Following Bukayo Saka’s limping off the pitch during England’s loss to Greece, which raised injury fears, Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the winger’s condition.
The north London team is vying for the top spot in the Premier League table with Liverpool and Manchester City, and the Gunners star has had an incredible start to the season, scoring twice and providing seven assists.
However, when he walked off the field after the Three Lions’ crushing 2-1 loss to 48th-ranked Greece at Wembley last week, he heartily disappointed Arsenal supporters.
After it was revealed that he had been substituted due to a thigh issue, he left the team before England’s victory over Finland on Sunday.
The degree of the injury has now been disclosed by his club management, which is fantastic news for Gunners fans.
“It’s not a serious injury,” he said at a press conference on Friday.
He’s developing rather nicely. In the past two days, he has taken part in a few activities. He was too unfit to play in the second game for the national team.
However, we have hope. Let’s see whether he can arrive on time for our training session this afternoon, as he completed some tasks yesterday.
As injuries continue to plague him this season, Arteta also provided information on a number of other players who were knocked.
After missing Germany’s Nations League games due to a knee injury, Kai Havertz is battling to recover.
“He had a few issues and we’ve been dealing with that,” the Spanish manager stated. He has been incredibly talented. He understands the situation and communicates well with the management and the national team.
Once more, he has a decent chance of being available and fit if he trains well today.
Arteta’s injury woes continued as Gabriel Martinelli, another casualty of international duty, developed a calf issue while traveling with Brazil.
The manager disclosed that the winger has only taken part in modest training sessions since his return on Thursday.
Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, is still sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained during the previous international break, and Kieran Tierney is also sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
According to Arteta, Odegaard is getting close to making a comeback, and the upcoming week will be “crucial” in determining when he will do so.
Following their thrilling 2-2 draw at Manchester City last month, the Gunners are riding high following back-to-back Premier League victories as they travel to the Vitality Stadium to play Bournemouth at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday.
