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Football London
Football London
Sport
Aaron Catterson-Reid

Arsenal handed major Bukayo Saka boost as youngster starts for Aston Villa clash

Arsenal starlet Bukayo Saka has been spotted at the Emirates Stadium ahead of the Gunners clash against Aston Villa tonight.

Saka was forced off at half-time against Crystal Palace on Monday night after he was on the receiving end of a nasty challenge from Palace midfielder James McArthur.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta claimed that McArthur should have received a red card for the tackle, with the Scottish international kicking the Hale End graduate in the calf long after the ball had been cleared.

Arteta said: "If we want to detect things that are really relevant in a game and can change a football match, then they have to be looked at," he said.

"That situation is not only affecting them, but we have to take the player off because of the action so it is affecting it two different ways. It is not right

"You [need to] make a straight decision, when it is so clear and so obvious straight away and they have to play with 10 men.

"Bukayo could not continue, we had to take him off at half-time, I saw the action and I can't believe how the player continued on the pitch.

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"I don't get it. With what we were explained at the start of the season and what happened tonight, it doesn't make any sense."

However, the 20-year-old was seen getting off the team bus alongside the rest of Mikel Arteta's squad as Arsenal arrived at the Emirates Stadium ahead of their must-win fixture against Dean Smith's side.

The England international was named in the starting XI alongside Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Emile Smith Rowe in attack.

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