Bukaya Sako injury update as Arsenal learn winger's return will be 'pushed back' amid attacking crisis
Arsenal’s injury woes have just become a bit worse following an update to Bukayo Saka’s condition.
Following news earlier this week that sole striker Kai Havertz is likely out for the season, having sustained a hamstring injury during training, Arsenal have learned more about England international Saka’s injury too.
Saka limped off the pitch in a 5-1 win against Crystal Palace in December with an injury to his right leg. He is joined in Arsenal’s treatment room by fellow forwards Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.
During Arsenal’s recent warm weather training camp in Dubai, Saka was photographed undergoing rehabilitation, sparking excitement from Arsenal fans about his potential return.
But these hopes have been quickly dashed, with manager Mikel Arteta unwilling to take any risks by bringing him back into the fold too early. This is despite having Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri as his only senior attacking options.
It is thought that Saka’s return won’t be for another eight weeks, meaning it will be at least mid-April before he steps back onto the pitch for the Gunners.
Arteta said: “We’ve had players who are injured who’ve played 130 games in the last two seasons so it’s an accident waiting to happen when you continue to load, load and load.
“The intensity is at a different level and the demands in terms of minutes in this competitive environment is getting higher and higher and it’s a consequence of that. The amount of muscle and tendon injuries is higher than ever so there’s a relationship.
“We’re very limited and we’re training less than ever. There’s no time for training.
“The biggest problem is that you don’t train the muscle, the muscle is undertrained and then you expose the muscle and the tendon to an exposure that it can’t absorb because the tendon has 72 hours to recover.”