Bukayo Saka could be fit for Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth after the international break despite picking up an injury while playing for England in the Nations League defeat to Greece on Thursday.
The 23-year-old was taken off in the second half after appearing to pick up an injury to his right leg and has returned to the Gunners where he will be assessed by medical staff. Many feared Saka had sustained a hamstring injury but Lee Carsley has suggested the Hale Ender’s knock is not that serious.
As reported by the Mirror, the England medical staff believe Saka might have made the Finland game on Sunday but, having played just three days earlier, they did not want to take a gamble on his fitness so he did not even travel to Finland with the rest of the squad. Carsley added: “Bukayo would have been close but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him. He’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”
- Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka have been nursing injuries (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC)
Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka have been nursing injuries.
Bukayo Saka could be fit for Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth after the international break despite picking up an injury while playing for England in the Nations League defeat to Greece on Thursday.
The 23-year-old was taken off in the second half after appearing to pick up an injury to his right leg and has returned to the Gunners where he will be assessed by medical staff. Many feared Saka had sustained a hamstring injury but Lee Carsley has suggested the Hale Ender’s knock is not that serious.
As reported by the Mirror, the England medical staff believe Saka might have made the Finland game on Sunday but, having played just three days earlier, they did not want to take a gamble on his fitness so he did not even travel to Finland with the rest of the squad. Carsley added: “Bukayo would have been close but it would have been unfair to take a risk with him. He’s a positive person and I expect him to be fine.”
The fact Saka could have perhaps featured for England against Finland suggests he should be fit for Arsenal’s clash with Bournemouth next Saturday. Mikel Arteta will certainly be hoping the winger returns to full fitness in the coming days as there are also a number of other fitness concerns to contend with.
Martin Odegaard, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko remain on the sidelines, with Gunners captain Odegaard targeting a return from injury in November after missing the last four weeks with angle ligament damage. Zinchenko could return against Bournemouth, though. “Oleks probably after the international break, if everything goes well, he’s progressing very well,” Arteta said before Southampton.
There are question marks over Ben White and Jurrien Timber, however, as the two did not make the matchday squad against Southampton. Neither were called up by their countries England or Netherlands but Arteta has previously admitted that the pair are close to returning so should be involved against the Cherries.
