{"id":106497,"date":"2023-10-04T09:37:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/04\/bukayo-saka-injury-against-lens-a-worry-for-arsenal-says-mikel-arteta\/"},"modified":"2023-10-04T09:37:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:37:06","slug":"bukayo-saka-injury-against-lens-a-worry-for-arsenal-says-mikel-arteta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/10\/04\/bukayo-saka-injury-against-lens-a-worry-for-arsenal-says-mikel-arteta\/","title":{"rendered":"Bukayo Saka: Injury against Lens ‘a worry’ for Arsenal, says Mikel Arteta"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bukayo Saka went off injured in the 34th minute of Arsenal’s 2-1 Champions League defeat against Lens
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Mikel Arteta said Bukayo Saka\u2019s latest injury is \u201ca worry\u201d \u2013 but does not regret picking him to\u00a0play in Arsenal\u2019s 2-1 Champions League defeat\u00a0at Lens.<\/p>\n

Saka set up Gabriel Jesus\u2019 goal but went off with a muscular problem in the 34th minute as his side lost for the first time this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know anything more,\u201d said Arteta.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was big enough not to allow him to continue to play the game and that\u2019s a worry for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saka, 22, had started his side\u2019s past two games before being withdrawn with injury concerns \u2013 and is now a doubt for Sunday\u2019s crucial Premier League game with champions Manchester City at Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n

But asked whether he regretted picking Saka against Lens, Arsenal boss Arteta said: \u201cNo. It was a knock that he had the other day and he was perfectly fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a backheel, an action that can produce that kind of injury. He tried to backheel a ball in the first half and felt something muscular. He felt uncomfortable to carry on so we had to take him off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hasn\u2019t really missed games. We gave him a break against Brentford [in the Carabao Cup] last week and that was all.\u201d<\/p>\n

England forward Saka has been an ever-present in Arsenal\u2019s side and has started 87 consecutive league games.<\/p>\n

So much of the Gunners\u2019 attacking play goes through Saka that it was no surprise their tempo and energy significantly reduced against Lens following his departure and they slipped to a disappointing loss in Group B.<\/p>\n

Arteta will not want to lose such a key figure for the visit of Pep Guardiola\u2019s City, who lead the Premier League by one point from Tottenham and Arsenal.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cLet\u2019s see what the extent of it is. The last few were more knocks than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

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