Other than Liverpool FC, there were no winners when Arsenal battled Manchester City yesterday. And all of us who watched it, lost. After the nil-nil stalemate, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta gave an update on why Bukayo Saka had to be subbed off early.
“As you know he’s been out for a few weeks now with a little problem,” Arteta said of Saka.
Arsenal vs Luton Town FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Apr. 3, 7:30 pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Arsenal Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
PL Position: Luton Town 18th, 22 pts Arsenal 2nd, 65 pts
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Form: Luton Town LDLDL Arsenal DWWWW
Google Result Probability: Luton Town 4% Arsenal 88% Draw 8%
Arsenal Team News
“He was feeling that fatigue. Right now he hasn’t trained. He trained just one day before the match. He made a big contribution, but 90 minutes was a lot today.”
In other words, the English winger was still building up hit match fitness after being out for a bit with a knock/minor muscular injury. Saka should be solid for Wednesday night against Luton. The man who replaced him, Gabriel Martinelli, has apparently fully recovered from the foot injury that had kept him out of the last match, the Champions League win over Porto right before the international break.
He could play a larger role in the midweek fixture than he did yesterday.
Finally, Jurrien Timber has stepped it up in training lately, meaning his return is nearing. However, we can safely say that it won’t be in this game, or the next, as the club will bring him along slowly and cautiously. After all, he suffered an ACL injury, which is always serious.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.