Arsenal may have just dropped a major hint that suggests that Bukayo Saka could be involved against Manchester City on Sunday.
Saka is currently recovering from a hamstring injury sustained against Leeds United back in August.
The winger’s initial diagnosis concluded that he’d miss three or four weeks of action, which would indicate that he should be nearing a return.
However, Mikel Arteta provided an update regarding Saka’s potential involvement against City in his press conference on Friday, with the Spaniard relatively coy on the possibility.
Bukayo Saka could be available for Man City match after Max Dowman update
Arsenal have now inadvertently hinted that either Saka or Martin Odegaard will make their matchday squad for the encounter against City.
The Gunners’ under-21s took on Wolves in Premier League 2 on Saturday afternoon, and Max Dowman was named in the starting eleven.
The 15-year-old has featured in each of the Arsenal first team’s last four squads across all competitions, but his involvement with the youth side would suggest that he won’t make the bench against City on Sunday.
This absence will likely create space for an additional attacking substitute in Arteta’s ensemble, and this space may have been intentionally created for a returning Saka or Odegaard.
If Arsenal knew that they’d be involving Dowman against City, they almost certainly wouldn’t have sanctioned his participation in the under-21 fixture.
The other possibility is that this additional space is being vacated for Christian Norgaard to fill, although Arteta may want to have a certain number of attacking players at his disposal to call upon, and the Dane doesn’t fit this mould.
Arsenal shouldn’t start Bukayo Saka against Man City
Odegaard’s injury isn’t said to be too serious, and thus, the Norwegian should be in the picture to start if he’s deemed fit enough to make the bench.
Saka, on the other hand, should not be rushed back at any cost. In the past, the Gunners have forced their talisman back into the side before he’s been ready.
This has aggravated fitness issues he’s been carrying, while he’s often not looked at his best when being rushed back in.
Now, Arsenal have Noni Madueke at their disposal, which gives them a genuine alternative to Saka, meaning they don’t need to bring him in prematurely, even for a game of such magnitude.
If the Gunners’ best player is deemed sufficiently fit to make the bench, he should be kept on the sidelines as an emergency-only option.
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