LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed concern over Bukayo Saka’s availability for Sunday’s league game against Manchester City after the forward sustained an injury during their 2-1 Champions League defeat to RC Lens.
Saka was substituted for Fabio Vieira in the 34th minute of Tuesday’s match, and Arteta stated that the muscular issue was “significant enough to prevent him from continuing to play, which is obviously a concern for us.”
The 22-year-old had previously limped off the pitch during Arsenal’s 4-0 league victory over Bournemouth, marking his 87th consecutive Premier League appearance.
Before that, he was rested for a League Cup match against Brentford due to a knock he picked up in a 2-2 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
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When asked if he regretted starting Saka given his injury concerns, Arteta responded, “No, it was a knock he picked up the other day, and he was perfectly fine…
“(Saka’s previous injuries) were more knocks than anything else. In the last few he had, he didn’t really miss games. We gave him a break against Brentford in the League Cup, and that was all.“
Arteta has faced criticism for not resting Saka more frequently, but the Spanish manager stated that all the players were eager to play against Lens.
“It was a significant night in the Champions League,” he added.
“I painted a picture, the scenario, the type of game we were going to have to face today, and they were all aware of it.
“However, the Champions League is incredibly difficult to win… and today we also learned a valuable lesson.“
