Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta provided an update on Friday night about his star winger Bukayo Saka and his thigh injury. “He had a procedure,” Arteta said.
“Everything went well. But unfortunately, he will be out for many, many weeks. I think it will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer.”
Brentford FC vs Arsenal FYIs
Kick: Wed. Jan. 1, 5:30pm local, GTech Community Stadium, London, UK
Arsenal Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Result Probability: Brentford FC 15% Arsenal 66% Draw 19%
Premier League Standing: Brentford FC 12th, 24 pts Arsenal 3rd, 36 points
Premier League Form Guide: Brentford FC LWLLD Arsenal WDDWW
Gunners Team News
While there is no definitive timeline, at least we now know a ballpark figure. Figure we won’t see Bukayo Saka again until mid-to-late March at the earliest.
In sticking with the theme of injured English wing players, Arteta also provided an update on the status of Raheem Sterling, and the player’s knee injury.
“The news with Raz, I think it’s better,” Arteta said.
“We have to see this week how he evolves. So, hopefully, that’s good because we need him.”
Indeed they really do need him right now, if they’re serious about making a Premier League title chase, then they need more squad depth; especially with Bukayo Saka shelved for the time being.
Elsewhere, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees.
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 USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.