LATEST NEWS: Arsenal receive major injury relief ahead of Man City clash following recent scare.
Bukayo Saka is anticipated to be fit for Arsenal’s upcoming clash against Manchester City, despite his early exit during the north London derby victory over Tottenham.
Arsenal secured another victory against their long-time rivals on Sunday, with Gabriel Magalhães heading in the decisive goal to clinch the win on Tottenham’s home turf.
However, concerns arose when Saka, who had assisted Gabriel’s goal, had to be substituted in the 86th minute. The 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri came on to replace him after Saka went down without any apparent contact and needed medical attention on the field before hobbling off shortly after.
Arsenal is currently managing several injuries, including Martin Ødegaard, who picked up an ankle injury during international duty with Norway. Mikel Merino is also out due to a shoulder issue, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney are sidelined. Additionally, Riccardo Calafiori returned from international duty with a knock.
However, reports from the Evening Standard suggest that Saka’s substitution was precautionary, as it was due to cramping. The club is optimistic that he will fully recover in time for the week’s fixtures. Arsenal is scheduled to kick off their Champions League campaign with an away game against Atalanta on Thursday, followed by their trip to face Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
Following the Tottenham match, Mikel Arteta revealed that Saka had asked to be taken off. Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta explained, “Suddenly, he went down and said he couldn’t continue, so we had to take him off.”
During the post-match press conference, Arteta further added, “I don’t know what exactly happened. I had already made two substitutions up front when suddenly, he went down. But he couldn’t go on.”
No update was provided on Ødegaard’s condition at that time, though Arteta is expected to address the media on Wednesday before the squad’s flight to Italy.
Arsenal has had a strong start to the Premier League season, winning three of their first four matches, with their only dropped points coming in a home draw against Brighton before the international break.