Mikel Arteta delivers Bukayo Saka update after going down v Aston Villa

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Mikel Arteta has issued an injury update on Bukayo Saka after the Arsenal star went down in the Gunners’ 4-2 win against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Speaking to the press via the Daily Star, the Arsenal manager revealed that Saka is fine after the England international was again hacked down by Villa players in a physical encounter against Unai Emery’s side, with the 21-year-old managing to complete the entire match.

Arteta said: “He’s fine he got kicked quite a lot again, but he’s going to have to deal with that, not every week, but every three days. Sometimes in training as well. It’s his game, teams are not stupid and they want to stop him. We need to protect him.”

Saka injury update is a huge relief for Arsenal

The words ‘Saka’ and ‘protection’ seem to go arm-in-arm these days as Arteta once again made a plea to officials in the Premier League to be sterner on players who foul the Arsenal winger, who this season has incredibly been booked more times than opponents who have taken down the forward.

With Arteta making it clear that more needs to be done to keep players regularly targeted by rivals fit and healthy, these latest comments will ring true for a lot of Arsenal supporters, who have again been hit with a near-miss over Saka’s fitness.

Indeed, with Saka crucial to Arsenal’s bid for a Premier League title, losing out on the winger due to injury based on the negligence of Premier League referees wouldn’t be the most surprising outcome in the remaining months of the season. And more simply needs to be done to protect players such as the England star.

Arsenal have to raise Saka issue with the Premier League

Saka isn’t the first player in the Premier League to be specifically targeted by rivals in a match to cut off his influence in a match. Yet the lack of movement from the Premier League and the division’s referees in protecting such names could lead to disaster if nothing is done.

As we know, Saka has stayed clear from a major injury in his Arsenal career as of writing, but the current standards of refereeing in the division will eventually reach a breaking point, which could result in the England winger being out on the sidelines with something that might effect his entire career.