Saka has managed to avoid any injuries so far this season which will have been a huge boost to Mikel Arteta considering how he was plagued by minor concerns in the last campaign. However, the Arsenal boss has been far less fortunate regarding other players.
Martin Odegaard, Ben White and Jurrien Timber all missed the 3-1 win against Southampton with the latter duo having been absent for the last few weeks. Arteta lost his club captain during the September international break with his return not expected until December, while White has been missing because of a groin issue.
Saka could now be joining that trio with England interim head coach Lee Carsley issuing an update on his condition after the game. In a press conference, he said: “He’s being assessed. In the build-up to the first goal, you could see he felt something in his leg.” At full time, Saka was filmed walking through the mixed zone with a slight limp.
The Three Lions next face Finland this Sunday, though Saka looks unlikely to feature with his availability to play for Arsenal against Bournemouth next weekend also in doubt. In a bid to determine that outcome, according to the Standard, Saka has been sent for a scan to assess the damage of his right hamstring, which was the area he was holding.
With the clash at Vitality Stadium not for over a week, Saka has plenty of time to recover if it is just a minor issue. However, a serious problem could see him miss upcoming games, across three competitions, against the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Liverpool, Preston, Newcastle, Inter and Chelsea.
If the worst is confirmed, Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli are all capable of replacing Saka in the short-term with Arteta also likely to consider leaving him out for the next two games. The Gunners should have enough quality to beat Bournemouth and Shakhtar without Saka before returning for the trip to Anfield on Sunday, October 27
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