Arteta provides more information on Saka’s injury absence and potential return

Arteta provides more information on Saka’s injury absence and potential return

Mikel Arteta says it is important to “look after” Bukayo Saka, who has been struggling with an Achilles injury for a while.

Saka has missed the last three games for the Gunners and could do so again when Arsenal face Sporting in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final on Wednesday.

“Yeah, now it’s been a few weeks obviously and he hasn’t been able to train much, so it’s not only be having him available but in which condition.” Arteta said on Saka’s absence.

“So we want him on the pitch as quick as we can, the moment that he can tolerate the load and the pain that he had, he will be available and then we’ll have to wait and see how much he can contribute.

“Every player now, to be fair, when it comes to this stage of the competition with the amount of games that they’ve played in the last few years, they have niggles.

“We’re willing to look after him. He does look after himself really well and I’m sure we’ll manage that in the right way.

“He’s a person that gets frustrated but he does everything that he can to change that. So he doesn’t lie there waiting for things. He’s constantly looking for solutions, for ways, for treatments, for things he can do to give himself the best chance to be available as quick as possible.”

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Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are also doubts for Wednesday’s clash and Arteta admits having so many players managing injury issues is difficult.

“It’s very far from ideal,” he said. “We mentioned that when you come to this stage you need your best players in the best moment and everybody available and it’s not the case.

“But we’ve been through so much during the season with a lot of situations that we have overcome and that’s the spirit of the team.

“If we don’t have that (everyone available), we have many other tools to achieve what we want and we’re going to give it a go.”

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