Arsenal ended 2024 on a high after beating Ipswich Town however, what followed the victory clouded the three points.
The Gunners beat Ipswich 1-0 in a mundane contest at the Emirates although, the rewards were bountiful.
Arsenal leapfrogged Chelsea to go within six points of Premier League leaders Liverpool, moving up to second in the table heading into the new year.
Mikel Arteta was pleased with his side’s victory but, a concerning topic dominated the Arsenal manager’s press conference.
Expert delivers nightmare Bukayo Saka injury timeframe
Despite winning back-to-back Premier League games, talk at Arsenal has focused on Bukayo Saka’s injury.
At first, Arteta predicted that Saka would be out for ‘many weeks’ however, things have taken a turn for the worse since the preliminary verdict.
It’s now been confirmed that Saka underwent surgery on his hamstring, news that came as an unwanted shock to those in N5.
Now that the winger’s surgery has been confirmed, an updated prognosis could see the 23-year-old out for a matter of months, which an injury expert echoed.
Following the sinister update, injury analyst Physio Scout took to X to share their verdict on the possible timeframe of Saka’s recovery, which makes for haunting reading for Arsenal.
“Typically we see a recovery time of 3-5 months after hamstring surgery depending on the location, type & size of the tear,” the expert explained.
“Based on what I’ve seen, Saka should be out for around 3.5-4 months. Upper hamstring surgeries are usually more frequently seen, but the injured site was the lower hamstring here.”
A three-and-a-half to four-month absence could take Saka out of the frame until April, one month before the Premier League season concludes.
Arsenal must approach the January transfer window with intent
Hamstring injuries are frequent in players of Saka’s style however, they’re equally as easy to recur, emphasising the need for the correct steps to recovery to be taken.
While Arteta has previously expressed his confidence that the forward will be back before the end of the season, Arsenal have to find a solution to solve their problems.
Arteta has made it clear that he trusts his players in response to the January transfer window however, the Spaniard’s approach has surely changed given the latest update.
In what is a dark time for the Gunners, the winter window must be seen as a shining light to Arsenal, who can fill the void left by Saka if they scan the market for a player of his profile.
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