- Bukayo Saka out for "many weeks" with hamstring injury
- Arteta says congested fixture list may have contributed to injury
- Raheem Sterling also sidelined with knee injury
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that winger Bukayo Saka will be sidelined for “many weeks” due to a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old England attacker was forced off during Saturday’s 5-1 win against Crystal Palace and left Selhurst Park on crutches.
Saka has been in impressive form this season, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists across 24 games in all competitions. Arteta expressed his disappointment at the injury, saying, “It’s not looking good. He’s going to be out for many weeks. It is what it is. He’s injured, we cannot change it. We’re going to use this time now to help him.”
Arteta is already exploring options to deal with Saka’s absence, drawing on the team’s experience of coping without key players, such as captain Martin Odegaard, who was injured earlier this season. When asked if Saka had torn his hamstring, Arteta replied, “Yes. Probably there are ways to prevent the injury. There are a lot of factors. We are looking at everything and what we can do differently.”
Saka has made 250 appearances for Arsenal since his debut in November 2018, scoring 67 goals and providing 63 assists. Arteta described Saka as “gutted” and “really emotional” after discovering the severity of his injury.
The Arsenal manager also suggested that the congested fixture list may have contributed to Saka’s injury, citing the accumulation of matches played by key players like Saka and Declan Rice. Additionally, Arteta confirmed that Raheem Sterling will also be sidelined for several weeks due to a knee injury.
The Gunners’ next match is against Ipswich at Emirates Stadium on December 27.
