Sunday’s trip to Manchester City is likely to define not only Arsenal’s season, but perhaps the entire tenure of manager Mikel Arteta.
Avoiding defeat would serve as a huge boost to their Premier League title dreams, while a loss could seal another late-season collapse and feed into a narrative that is threatening to swallow the Gunners whole.
The stakes could hardly be higher for Arsenal but, unfortunately for Arteta, he heads into Sunday’s game without the headline figure of Bukayo Saka on the right wing.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Englishman’s absence.
Why Bukayo Saka Isn’t Playing for Arsenal vs. Man City
Arsenal fans have not seen Saka in action since the Carabao Cup final defeat to City, after which the winger reported a problem with his Achilles.
Achilles injuries have been in the headlines recently after Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitiké was diagnosed with a rupture. The Frenchman is expected to miss at least nine month of action with an injury widely seen as one of the worst in professional sports.
Fortunately for Saka, his Achilles problem is nowhere near as severe. The 24-year-old has been battling discomfort for a while and reached his breaking point in the cup final, requiring a period of rest on the sidelines.
“Bukayo is out, that’s for sure,” Arteta told the media in the build-up to Sunday’s seismic game.
When Will Bukayo Saka Return for Arsenal?
While we know Saka’s Achilles problem is not a major one, there has been no real update on the winger’s condition since he was forced back to the sidelines.
Arteta did confirm that Saka is “just starting to do some stuff” during his recent press conference. That suggests the winger is back on grass, although he is clearly not yet ready to return to full training.
“Let's see that progression, how quickly we can go through it, and then wait, but at the moment it's not about that,” the Gunners boss explained, keen to give Saka the time he needs to recover.
“We’ve had to cope with [injuries] all season and if you look back at the stages and the players that we’ve missed for big, big, big periods and where we are, it’s not normal where we are.
“But we have coped with that because of our mentality and the solutions that we find, the way the players have stepped up in this moment. And we are where we are. We are still very strong and we will remain the same way.”
Arsenal’s Remaining Fixtures
| Opponent | Date | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Newcastle (H) | April 25 | Premier League |
| Atlético Madrid (A) | April 29 | Champions League |
| Fulham (H) | May 2 | Premier League |
| Atlético Madrid | May 5 | Champions League |
| West Ham (A) | May 10 | Premier League |
| Burnley (H) | May 17 | Premier League |
| Crystal Palace | May 24 | Champions League |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Bukayo Saka Is Not Playing for Arsenal vs. Man City.
