Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave an update on the fitness of star attacker Bukayo Saka. Speaking to the press ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against West Ham United, the Spaniard stated that the winger was likely to feature.
He said (via James Olley on X):
“Again, he’s been recovering this week and he looks OK.”
Saka started in Arsenal‘s 3-1 win over Liverpool but was taken off after 80 minutes after a collision with Reds forward Darwin Nunez. He left the field limping and was replaced by Reiss Nelson, leaving his status for Sunday’s clash up in the air.
However, Arteta insisted just after the game that he had just suffered a light knock, saying:
“He should be fine, I think. He got a kick, I think, on the ankle or the back of his foot, but he should be fine.”
The 22-year-old opened the scoring on the night as the Gunners put in a strong performance to beat the league leaders. The visitors pulled one back before second-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard handed the north Londoners all three points.
Saka has been a key player this season as Arsenal look to launch another title challenge after coming up short last time around. In 30 games across all competitions, he has 11 goals and 13 assists.
Arsenal star opens up on life at club after joining this summer
Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz explained how he has had to change his playing style after joining the side last summer. Speaking to Sky Sports, the German claimed that his defensive workload has increased as he has been deployed in a deeper role.
He said:
“Before, I used to focus a lot just on the offence, but defence is also a big part of the game and I knew that so I’ve worked on that quite a lot.
“I’ve been getting used to all the players, to the style of football and now, I feel very comfortable in the team so that’s good.”
After playing as the lone man up top for most of his career with Chelsea, Havertz has been mostly used in a midfield three alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard at Arsenal.
The 24-year-old completed a switch last summer from the cross-town rivals for a reported fee of £65 million. After struggling initially, he has settled in well, bagging five goals and one assist this season.
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