Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hopeful that Bukayo Saka can make the trip to the Vitality Stadium as the Gunners get set to take on Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Saka, 23, is currently running against time to recover from a leg injury he sustained while on international duty with England.
The Arsenal No. 7 was replaced by Chelsea’s Noni Madueke in the 51st minute of England’s 2-1 loss to Greece in the Nations League at Wembley, forcing him to withdraw from the team and return to the Premier League club for further assessment.
However, Arteta, who is approaching his fifth year with the Gunners, said Saka’s injury is “not serious” and the English forward is touch and go for Saturday’s game as he is recovering well.
“It’s not a serious injury,” Arteta said during his pre-match conference on Friday. “He’s evolving really well. He’s done a few things in the last two days. He wasn’t fit enough to play with the national team in the second game, but we are hopeful.
“We have a training session this afternoon. He did some bits yesterday, so let’s see if he can make it on time.”
Saka has been integral to Arsenal’s blistering start to the season, having scored two goals and provided seven assists in seven Premier League appearances for the Gunners this campaign.
There’s still so much more to come from Bukayo 📈 pic.twitter.com/8FfVzukDqB
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 9, 2024
Meanwhile, Arteta also gave an update on the fitness of team captain Martin Odegaard, stating that the Bournemouth trip is too soon for the Norwegian as he still needs to complete his rehabilitation but will be reassessed next week ahead of their games against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League and Liverpool in the Premier League.
“I think he’s [Odegaard] not going to be fit for this game,” the 42-year-old stated. “Next week will be a different story, but again, [he is] in that later stage of rehab at the moment, because he’s already doing a lot of the stuff.
“He needs to clear some markers; he needs to clear certain things; he needs to be comfortable doing things, especially with the ball. I think next week will be crucial to understand how close he is.”
Odegaard has not played for the club since late August, having picked up an ankle injury while on international duty with Norway. The 25-year-old has missed four league games and both of the Gunners’ Champions League fixtures.
Arsenal, unbeaten so far this season, are currently on a run of four straight wins in all competitions. They sit third in the Premier League standings with 17 points, one behind leaders Liverpool.
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