Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sounded downbeat despite his team’s stunning 5-1 win at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on December 21. This was because star player Bukayo Saka picked up a hamstring injury in the first half of the match and had to be subbed off.
Speaking to the media after the match, Arteta did not sound too optimistic. He said, “We are pretty worried about Saka’s injury. He grabbed his hamstring and couldn’t continue. We don’t know the extent of the injury yet, but we’re pretty worried. Let’s hope it’s not too much.”
However, the Spaniard also seemed to leave it to fate to decide what happens with the winger, adding, “He felt something. It is too early to assess him. It was a precaution with him right now.”
Saka started the match and looked sharp in the early exchanges. However, the winger pulled up clutching his hamstring after trying to deliver a cross into the box, and went down immediately. He was replaced by Leandro Trossard and the Gunners ran riot after that.
What could Bukayo Saka’s injury timeline look like?
Saka seemed to have picked up a hamstring injury in his right leg and immediately clutched the back of his leg. However, one positive is that the player did not have to be stretchered off, ruling out the possibility of a severe injury.
He suffered a similar injury earlier this season while on international duty with England and had missed a few weeks of action back then as well. Hamstrings are the most crucial muscles for footballers and a recurring injury could need to be checked by a specialist before the player returns to training.
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Arsenal will host Ipswich Town on December 27, followed by a trip to Brentford on new year’s day and a visit to Brighton & Hove Albion on January 4. The Gunners will host Manchester United in the FA Cup on January 12, which could be an ideal date for Bukayo Saka to return.
