Bukayo Saka hasn’t featured for Arsenal since August, having suffered a hamstring injury in the 5-0 win over Leeds.
The Gunners lost their following match 1-0 to title challengers Liverpool, before bouncing back with victories over Nottingham Forest and then Athletic Club in the Champions League.
Saka, who missed a large chunk of last season with a similar problem and was out for around three-and-a-half months, has scored one goal and notched one assist so far this term.
Is Arsenal star Bukayo Saka available this weekend?
Despite his importance to both club and country, the winger hasn’t been rushed back and was absent from England’s recent World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will be hopeful that Saka can return to fitness sooner rather than later, with important fixtures coming up against Manchester City and Newcastle.
It’s thought that Saka's hamstring problem could keep him out until the end of September, but an exact return date has not yet been given by the club.
According to Arteta, “Bukayo’s out and he’s trying to get back as quickly as possible, but we need to respect that process”.
“Let’s see, he’s evolving really well, with very specific work at the moment. The moment that we increase that load, let’s see how he reacts”, he said.
Arsenal may have to host Manchester City on Sunday without Saka in their ranks, but they’ll know that a victory could take them six points clear of Pep Guardiola’s men.
