Arsenal Faces Significant Setback in Title Challenge as Bukayo Saka Set to Miss Several Weeks
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London, Dec 23 (NationPress) The former Premier League champions, Arsenal, have received a critical setback in their title pursuit as the North London team will be without their standout player, Bukayo Saka, who has been ruled out for several weeks. The 23-year-old was substituted during their 5-1 triumph against Crystal Palace due to an injury, as confirmed by manager Mikel Arteta.
“The prognosis is not positive. He’s going to be absent for several weeks. This is a significant setback for us, but we must rise to this challenge,” Arteta stated during a press briefing.
This season, Saka has been in exceptional form, netting nine goals and providing 13 assists across all competitions. Arteta also reassured supporters, indicating that the injury could have been far worse.
“This is part of a player’s development. At this level, injuries are inevitable. Thankfully, it could have been much worse and sidelined him for an entire year,” he added. “It’s about how he responds and learns from this experience. We cannot change the fact that he is injured, but we will use this time to support him,” Arteta concluded.
Injury woes have caused Arsenal to drop to third place in the Premier League standings, with team captain Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Caliafiori, Zinchenko, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Takehiro Tomiyasu all suffering injuries at different points this season.
The Gunners will be looking to fill the void left by Saka’s absence but currently find themselves lacking a right-forward, as Raheem Sterling is also out due to a knee injury.
Arteta revealed that he is still in the process of devising a strategy to cope with Saka’s injury as he prepares for the demanding schedule ahead.
“I’m brainstorming some strategies. I haven’t finalized anything yet, but I have a few ideas. I also want to discuss with the players to understand how we can adapt and use this change positively, as it will alter our approach. We have previously navigated periods without Martin Odegaard and faced challenges with multiple defenders missing. We are approaching this with a positive mindset,” the Spaniard noted.
The Gunners are set to play three league matches in the next ten days, followed by a Carabao Cup semifinal against Newcastle United and an FA Cup encounter with Manchester United.
