Arteta Provides Saka Injury Update Ahead Of Chelsea Clash

Bukayo Saka may be ready to return for Arsenal in a derby date with Chelsea after being able to rest his hamstring during the international break.

The 22-year-old attacker missed the Gunners’ 1-0 victory against Manchester City due to a muscular issue that pulled him out of their Champions League match against Lens on October 3. Then, for England’s games against Australia and Italy, he was dropped from the lineup.

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Given Saka’s significance to the team’s cause, Arsenal will manage him carefully, but there’s a chance he’ll play at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. When questioned by media about it, Mikel Arteta stated the following: “I’m sure he wants to play. I don’t see any player there that doesn’t want to be in the starting XI. He has been working so hard to be fit for this game and let’s see where he is at today. He had a couple of days off that he needed as well, but the rest [of the international break] has not been rest for him because he needed to do the treatment and train, and get ready to be available against Chelsea.”

Arteta added when asked about the demands placed on Saka, with the talented winger having barely missed a game over the last four seasons: “I think we have to play him when we see he is in the right condition to play as well – mentally, and physically – and that he is performing. He needs to deserve to play and that’s another story. But so far, when he has played that amount of minutes or games, it is because we believed that he was ready to cope with that.”

William Saliba, a 22-year-old defender for Arsenal, has also been dealing with a recent injury; he did not travel to France for the break in international play. When asked if the stylish center-half’s reported toe problem will prevent him from playing well this season, Arteta responded: “Hopefully not. He’s been carrying that for weeks now. We had to use that time to settle and we believed it was the best moment to do that.”

Arsenal’s head coach added when asked if Saliba will figure against Chelsea: “Depending on how he trains today.”