Arsenal had been the final Premier League team no to have suffered a defeat in any competition, but that first L finally came tonight as they fell 2-1 at RC Lens in Champions League group stage play. Injury was added to insult, as Bukayo Saka, who had been a doubt for the last couple of games, due to knocks, suffered a muscular injury that forced him out after just 34 minutes.
Manager Mikel Arteta admits the issue is “a worry,” and says the forward’s availability against Manchester City this weekend is in doubt.
He tried to backheel a ball in the first half and he felt something,” The Gunners boss said in his post match press conference.
“It was something muscular. He was uncomfortable and we had to take him off.
“We don’t know anything more than that. Obviously, it was big enough not to allow him to continue to play the game and that is obviously a worry for us.
“I have no clue, [about the weekend], I don’t know.”
The 22-year-old English international had limped off in Arsenal’s last two Premier League matches, which obviously puts Arteta under the gun, inviting skepticism about whether or not Saka should have been playing today.
A reporter asked Arteta about this, and he replied that he had no regrets:
“No, it was a knock that he had the other day. He was perfectly fine. It was an action, a backheel, that can produce that type of injury. Let’s see what the extent of it is.
“The last few were more knocks than anything else. He hasn’t really missed games. We gave him a break against Brentford last week and that was all.
Bukayo Saka will now undergo a scan to determine the extent and severity of his medical issue.
If he misses out of the blockbuster Manchester City clash on Sunday, there is an international break coming up next week that would provide him extra time to recover.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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