England boss Gareth Southgate has promised Arsenal that he will ‘never’ risk Bukayo Saka amid fears over the forward’s hamstring injury entering the international break.
The Gunners are sweating over the attacker’s fitness ahead of their top-of-the-table Premier League clash with Manchester City. Arsenal will host their title rivals at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. But Mikel Arteta faces being without Saka due to the injury he sustained at RC Lens.
Saka limped off in only the 34th minute clutching his hamstring at Stade Bollaert-Delelis and is a doubt for Sunday. It was also their third straight game in which Arteta had to remove the 22-year-old. He also took the winger off early against Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth.
England boss Southgate promises Arsenal that he will ‘never’ risk Saka
Emile Smith Rowe replaced Saka in stoppage time during the north London after he failed to shake a heavy knock to the foot. While Fabio Vieira took Saka’s spot on the south coast after Milos Kerkez accidentally stood on the winger’s foot. He even missed a cup tie at Brentford.
Arteta will hope Saka can play when Arsenal meet Manchester City but, even more so, that his injury does not prove to be a long-term problem. Southgate also hopes the issue will not stop him from representing England this month. But he promises never to risk Saka’s fitness.
“I’ve been a player and I’ve never, ever taken a risk on a player’s physical well-being. And nor would I!” Southgate said, via quotes by football.london. “I can only go via what Mikel Arteta has said about the last few games. He is in contention for the weekend.
“So, we’ve obviously got a very important qualifier. We look after the players as well as any country. We have really good dialogue with all of their clubs. They have trust in us that we make decisions that are right for the long-term whenever we can.
“We only have 10 matches a year. And there’s been times when with Bukayo, for example, we haven’t always played him. But there are certain key games where if it’s possible to have your best players then you do want to have them.”
Southgate has zero reason to risk worsening Saka’s injury for England
There is absolutely no reason for Southgate to risk Saka’s injury with England in the October international break, regardless of his promise to Arsenal. The Three Lions can effectively seal their place at Euro 2024 with a win over Italy on October 17. They will also play one friendly.
Australia meet England on October 13 and Southgate will have zero justification for playing a potentially unfit Saka. Time may give the Three Lions boss a chance to then unleash the Hale End product against Italy. But, as Southgate alludes to, England do have alternative options.
What is the latest update about the Arsenal forward’s fitness?
According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are still undecided about Saka’s involvement in Sunday’s clash with Manchester City. The Gunners sent the attacker for an initial scan this Wednesday and also put him through fitness tests on Thursday. They hope they confirm their suspicions.
Arsenal believe Saka only suffered a hamstring tweak rather than a tear against RC Lens. But the severity of the tweak still leaves the 30-cap England international’s involvement against Manchester City in doubt. The Gunners are taking Saka’s involvement on a day-to-day basis.
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