Arsenal winger, Bukayo Saka is set to miss several weeks of action after suffering a knee injury during the Gunners’ emphatic 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta confirmed the devastating news during Monday’s press conference ahead of the Ipswich Town clash, revealing that the injury is more serious than initially feared.
This possible significant setback to Arsenal’s title ambitions was contained in a statement on the club website.
It was titled: ‘Team news: Updates on Saka and Sterling’.
“It’s not looking good”, Arteta admitted. “Obviously, he’s a big player for us. You just have to see the impact that he has on the team, but it’s going to be a really good exercise for all of us to think about ways to overcome another challenge, because we’ve already had a lot this season.”
Saka, Arsenal’s talismanic number seven, was forced off in the 24th minute at Selhurst Park, prompting Leandro Trossard to step in and deliver a stellar performance.
However, Saka’s absence leaves a significant void as Arsenal prepare for a demanding run of fixtures.
To compound Arsenal’s injury woes, Raheem Sterling is also expected to miss several weeks with a knee issue, further depleting Arteta’s options on the right flank.
“He needs some further testing tomorrow to understand the extent of the injury,” Arteta said regarding Sterling. “It’s his knee, and we have to wait another 24 hours, but unfortunately, he’s going to be out for a while.”
With two key right-wingers sidelined, Arteta faces a tactical conundrum. However, the Arsenal boss expressed confidence in his squad’s adaptability, citing several players who could step into the role.
“[Gabriel Martinelli] did really well again the other day,” Arteta noted. “He scored a goal, he created an assist. And it’s a good option to have. We’re going to have the option to play both-footed as well. If we need to, another kind of profile in relation to the opposition. So, we are on it.”
Arteta also highlighted Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard, and Kai Havertz as potential stand-ins.
“Gabby [Jesus] has played there, Ethan (Nwaneri] has played there, Leo [Trossard] can play there in relation to how that unit moves. Kai [Havertz] can play there, asking him different things. So, we’ll see, try to speak to them as well and understand how they feel about it.”
