Arsenal have been without Bukayo Saka since before Christmas and now the Gunners will have to wait even longer before the England international returns from his injury
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is expected to be sidelined for another EIGHT weeks, compounding the Gunners’ injury nightmare.
Saka, 23, torn his right hamstring during the Gunners’ 5-1 win away to Crystal Palace on December 21. The England international has been sidelined ever since and during his extended absence, two of his Arsenal team-mates and fellow attackers have been ruled out for the rest of this season.
Gabriel Jesus suffered an ACL injury last month, a blow which is set to keep him out for much of 2025. And following a trip to Dubai for some mid-season warm-weather training, it’s emerged that top goalscorer Kai Havertz will miss the remainder of the campaign, having undergone hamstring surgery. Gabriel Martinelli is also out for around a month after picking up an injury against Newcastle.
Now the Sun report that Saka is likely to be out until mid-April, longer than anticipated. That means Mikel Arteta is without four forwards and only has Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and teenager Ethan Nwaneri available ahead of Saturday’s trip to Leicester.
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Arsenal opted not to sign a forward during the winter transfer window, although it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Arteta confirmed earlier this month that the Gunners did go hunting for a new addition but were left ‘disappointed’.
“We had a clear intention which is obvious,” Arteta, whose side are seven points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, told reporters. “There is a window open to explore the possibilities to improve our squad with players that can impact it.
“We haven’t achieved it. So we are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kind of players. We have to be very disciplined with that as well and I think we were.
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“I wouldn’t like to go into too much detail. We couldn’t do it for certain reasons and we have to accept it, that’s it. It was a combination of things.”
When pressed on whether Arsenal’s decision not spend in January could affect their summer plans, Arteta replied: “What I mean about that is in everything, in the kind of profile, in the kind of player that we believe can really make us much better. Financially. In a lot of ways, there are a lot of things that we must stay in the lane that has taken us this far and from there, try to improve.”
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