Saka’s Injury Update and Arsenal’s Performance Against Leeds

Bukayo Saka was named in Arsenal’s starting XI for their match against Leeds on Saturday but had to withdraw from the squad due to an injury sustained during the warm-up. Fortunately for Arsenal, the team proved too strong for their opponents, achieving a resounding 4-0 victory, with goals from Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, and Gabriel Jesus.

As Arsenal prepares for a series of crucial matches in pursuit of titles across four competitions, the club is eager to have their star player back in action as soon as possible. Following the match, manager Mikel Arteta commented, “We don’t know yet. He had a little niggle in the warm-up.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final second leg, Arteta added, “We have to wait. Today he was better, but we must see how he responds before making a decision. It doesn’t appear to be something too serious. We’ll assess whether he can play tomorrow or this weekend.”

According to reports from The Sun, Saka is hopeful to return in time for the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, February 22. However, should he make a timely return for that match, he would miss the upcoming cup clash against Chelsea, Premier League matches with Sunderland and Brentford, as well as an FA Cup tie against Wigan Athletic.

Earlier this season, Saka was sidelined for four matches due to a hamstring injury, which occurred against Leeds back in August after he had scored. His absence coincided with a defeat to Liverpool, international duty with England, and victories against Nottingham Forest and Athletic Club in the Champions League.

Despite Saka’s significance to the team, he has faced a goal drought recently, with his last goal coming against Brentford in early December. Nevertheless, he has contributed assists in the Champions League victory over Inter and the recent win against Bournemouth.

In Saka’s absence, Noni Madueke stepped up during the match against Leeds, providing an assist for Zubimendi’s opening goal and scoring directly from a corner. With this performance, Madueke has likely secured his starting position for Tuesday’s match against Chelsea, where a place in the Wembley final is at stake.

Arsenal is well-positioned in their pursuit of glory in both the Premier League and the Champions League, while also aiming to secure a place in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg. In the first leg, played in mid-January, Arsenal was 2-0 up shortly after half-time, thanks to goals from Ben White and Gyokeres. Although Zubimendi added a third, a brace from Alejandro Garnacho kept Liam Rosenior’s side in contention for the second leg.

Aside from Saka, Arteta has minimal injury concerns, with the exception of Mikel Merino, who is expected to undergo surgery for a foot issue, potentially sidelining him for a significant portion of the remainder of the season. Merino’s versatility and scoring threat have been considerable assets for Arsenal, but the team will now have to cope without his physical presence for the duration of the campaign.