Spaniard Mikel Arteta, coach of Arsenal, third in the English Premier League, said on Monday that striker Bukayo Saka will be out of action for “several weeks” after sustaining an injury to his hamstring muscle during the 5-1 win over host Crystal Palace in the seventeenth round.
When Arteta was asked in a press conference about the condition of the 23-year-old English international, he said: “It does not look good. He will be out of action for several weeks.”
Saka was seen leaving the Selhurst Park stadium in London on crutches on Saturday, spoiling the joy of the second victory in four days over Crystal Palace after the Gunners had defeated them 3-2 at home in the League Cup quarter-finals.
“He felt something in his hamstring muscle,” Arteta said after the match. “He couldn’t continue. He will have to be evaluated, so I’m very concerned about that.”
The Spanish coach also revealed that Raheem Sterling, on loan from Chelsea, injured his knee and will also be out of action for several weeks.
When asked if there was a fear that Saka would not return before the end of the season, he answered, “No (there is no fear)” and “I am very optimistic about his return before the end of the season.”
The Spaniard said the injury was part of “the player’s development. It could have been much worse. It could have been something else that could have put you out of action for a year.”
He added, “It’s about how you react to that, how you overcome that situation, and it’s a great learning process for him as well. That’s what it is. He’s injured, and we can’t change that. We’ll use this time now to help him.”
Saka plays a key role in Arsenal’s attack, as he scored five goals in the league and made 10 assists this season, and his absence will be impactful.
Arteta stressed that he is “collecting some ideas” about how to deal with Saka’s absence. “We went through a period with (Norwegian) Martin (Odegaard) and a period with the absence of five or six defenders. We are dealing with the matter with positive energy.”
Arsenal, runner-up in the past two seasons and third-place this season with 33 points, 6 points behind leaders Liverpool and with a game in hand, will host bottom runner-up Ipswich on Friday.
. .
