Providing the latest Arsenal injury update, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta said he would know more about the availability of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Leandro Trossard for their upcoming game against Chelsea after Friday’s training session.
Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Leandro Trossard had all pulled out of their national team squads for the October international break with injuries.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea vs Arsenal, Mikel Arteta was asked for injury update on the three aforementioned players. Arteta said they would have more clarity on their availability after the training session on Friday.
“Not a lot. We haven’t had a lot of players. We’re going to do our first training session today and we’ll know more after the session,” Mikel Arteta said.
Arsenal injury update: I’m sure Bukayo Saka wants to play vs Chelsea, says Mikel Arteta
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It was not a welcome Arsenal injury update when Bukayo Saka limped off the pitch in the Gunners’ 2-1 defeat to Lens in the Champions League earlier this month. Saka subsequently missed Arsenal’s Premier League game against Manchester City, which Mikel Arteta’s side won 1-0.
Bukayo Saka has been an ever-present figure in the Arsenal starting XI. At the pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta was asked about Saka’s workload.
“No, you don’t [want him to burnout]. But sometimes you ask the players and they feel better when they play every three or four days. Sometimes they can pick up a knock or an injury. This is part of the game,” Mikel Arteta said.
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When asked whether Bukayo Saka wants to play against Chelsea, Mikel Arteta said: “I’m sure he wants to play. I don’t see any player there that doesn’t want to be in the starting XI.“
“Hopefully not. He’s been carrying that for weeks now. We had to use that time to settle and we believed it was the best moment to do that,” the Arsenal manager said in an injury update when asked if William Saliba’s injury could plague the defender for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will make the short trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in their next Premier League fixture. The match between the two sides will kick off at 10:00 p.m. Indian Standard Time on October 21st.
