Mikel Arteta has admitted there are worrying signs around Bukayo Saka’s injury, with Arsenal still waiting for further scans before they know how serious the problem is.
Mikel Arteta has given a worrying update on Bukayo Saka, with the Arsenal winger needing more scans and specialist opinions before the club can say exactly what the problem is or how long he might be out.
Saka lasted less than 10 minutes of Arsenal’s Champions League draw away to Bayern Munich, and Arteta’s immediate assessment after the game was hardly encouraging.
His latest update, given at his press conference before Saturday’s match against Everton, has not brought much in the way of reassurance.
Arteta said: “He’s got another MRI this afternoon because he had a lot of fluid.
“We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists. Let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive answer.
“Obviously when a player has to walk off the pitch, he’s struggling to walk without any pain, he’s restricted to movement, they are not good signs.
“So again, let’s be a little bit patient so we can give a definitive assessment and then let you know.”
Saka was struggling to walk without pain after coming off in Munich and Arteta himself described that as “not good signs”. He was also spotted using crutches according to Gary Jacob of The Times.
When asked whether injuries are beginning to affect the way Saka plays, Arteta added: “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.
“It’s been muscles, it’s been tendons as well which is something else. That’s not just with Bukayo, with many other players as well. We discussed that last year and that’s why we need to keep an eye on him.”
Arteta also revealed he is encouraging Saka to stay connected to the squad while he is injured.
“I already told him to go to the [training ground] and be the first one there with a good spirit and energy because that’s what the team needs,” Arteta said.
“If everybody’s like: ‘Bukayo, how are you? Are you sick? Are you OK?’, that’s exactly what we don’t need.
“If this is what it is, this is part of our job, to have some nice and bad results, a defeat or a problem, we need to deal with that. We cannot change that now. What we certainly can do is dominate the narrative from here to the Everton game together, with the best energy and the spirit to go and win the game.”
All put together, the update is difficult to dress up as anything other than concerning.
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