Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace was clouded by the injury to Bukayo Saka.
Just 24 minutes into Arsenal’s win against Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta was forced to make an early change.
Saka hobbled off with a hamstring injury in the first half, causing fear to Arsenal fans as their star player looked to be in real discomfort.
Debate has already started over who Arsenal can replace Saka with going forward, as the winger waits to learn the extent of his injury.
Expert shares Bukayo Saka injury verdict
Concern became clear as soon as the 23-year-old went down, with matters made worse as Saka was spotted on crutches leaving Selhurst Park.
After the game, Arteta shared a brief update on Saka’s injury status, saying that his player experiencing such pain was ‘not good news’ for the Gunners.
It’s yet to be determined just how severe the forward’s injury was; however, some indication has been given over a possible recovery time.
Reacting to Saka’s injury on X, injury analyst Physio Scout shared the ‘likely’ outcome of the winger’s early withdrawal.
It’s noted that the Arsenal star was seen nursing his lower hamstring, which indicated that a more severe hamstring strain is unlikely.
“It’s extremely hard to predict time-length of muscle injuries based on video, but the reaction and the use of crutches points towards at least a muscle strain, rather than tightness.
“This is more likely a grade 1/2 hamstring strain. Would be very unlucky if he suffered a grade 3, but that is more correlated with injuries higher up on the hamstring.”
The analyst then provided three possible recovery timeframes for Saka based on severity, which will be determined by a scan.
- Grade 1: 2-4 weeks
- Grade 2: 4-6 weeks
- Grade 3: 8-10 weeks
Who will replace Saka?
It’s set to be a daunting wait for the Gunners, who will be desperate to learn a positive verdict regarding Saka’s recovery time.
With festive fixtures coming thick and fast, the debate has already begun over who will replace the winger on the dominant right side of Arteta’s attack.
| Gabriel Martinelli | Leandro Trossard | Ethan Nwaneri | Raheem Sterling | |
| Apps | 15 | 17 | 10 | 6 |
| Goals | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Assists | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Key passes | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Succ dribbles | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.0 |
Some Arsenal fans want to see Gabriel Martinelli on the right, while others have been yearning for a new signing to come in amid the latest injury scare.
Arteta has spoken about Ethan Nwaneri’s versatility recently, giving the boss a fresh option, while summer signing Raheem Sterling is surely in conversation amid his struggle to tie down minutes.
Ultimately, the manager will take his pick regarding who can assume Saka’s crucial role in attack, with several options to choose from.
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