Bukayo Saka: Who could replace injured England forward in Arsenal's crucial Sky Sports live clash with Manchester City?
Bukayo Saka may not be able to continue his streak of playing 87 consecutive Premier League matches for Arsenal, due to a leg injury he sustained during their recent loss against Lens in the Champions League. There is uncertainty regarding his participation in Arsenal's crucial match against Manchester City, who currently lead the Premier League, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
On Tuesday night, during the match in France, Saka unfortunately had to leave the game due to an injury in his leg, which was a nightmare scenario for many loyal Arsenal fans.
The manager of the Gunners, Mikel Arteta, expressed concern about the injury and stated that the situation did not look promising, especially with City scheduled to play at the Emirates Stadium on Super Sunday.
The game will start on Sunday, October 8th at 4:00 pm with the actual kickoff taking place at 4:30 pm.
The physical condition of the English player is now a top priority as they prepare for the match against the team they battled with for the Premier League championship last year. Should the 22-year-old be unable to play, the focus will be on identifying a suitable replacement to face Pep Guardiola's team.
Arteta is facing more difficulties as Saka got injured and Gabriel Martinelli, another winger, cannot play due to a hamstring injury. This implies that Arsenal might have to play without both wingers who contributed significantly to their impressive performance in the previous season.
In this article, Sky Sports examines the choices that Arteta has when it comes to filling Saka's role on the wing and competing against Man City.
The Arsenal schedule, Arsenal outcomes, and standings in the Premier League.
Saka's Replacement: Who's Next?
In the games against Lens and Bournemouth, it was Vieira who was given the responsibility of replacing Saka as a player.
Despite struggling during his first season in England, the Portuguese footballer has shown a strong start this season, although he doesn't fit the mold of a traditional winger.
If we want to be technical, the 23-year-old is a similar player to Bernardo Silva of Manchester City. He plays best on the left side of Arsenal's midfield, and because he is left-footed, he can also provide an option that is different from Saka's for Arteta.
The Brazilian forward demonstrated in brief moments how difficult he can be to handle when placed in his favorite spot, the central position.
Arteta is currently in a difficult situation as both Saka and Martinelli are uncertain for the upcoming game against City, but he must make do with what he has.
During the match against Tottenham, Martinelli got injured and Jesus took his place on the left side of the field. Nketiah played as the striker. It's possible that this strategy will be used again, with Trossard playing on the right or Havertz as the main striker.
Due to the injury issues faced by Arsenal, the previous Brighton player is playing a vital role for Arteta right now. It is a certainty that they will be in the starting lineup against Manchester City.
What role is he expected to play?
Trossard is content playing in any position among the front three, but he has primarily been positioned on the left side. In the past few weeks, he has even started games due to Martinelli's absence.
Despite his three goals in all competitions for his club this season, the 28-year-old may be transferred to the right flank due to adjustments in the Gunners' forward line.
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The young professional, aged 23, will also be among the players vying for the opportunity to showcase their skills right from the beginning.
He has made several brief appearances as a substitute, but when given the opportunity to start the game, he managed to score the goal that secured Arsenal's victory in the Carabao Cup against Brentford.
Once again, Nelson is a player who has had the opportunity to perform on the left flank. This may happen again in the future, which would create the possibility for someone else to step in for Saka. However, Nelson is equally comfortable playing on the right side as well.
Could it be the right moment for Smith Rowe to step up?
It seems that his previous injuries are no longer a problem, and Arsenal supporters have been eager to see him play after his impressive performance in the U21 Euros for England.
Until now, Arteta has not given in to the idea, but due to limited options, it could be suitable to grant Smith Rowe another opportunity to showcase his capabilities. Smith Rowe was a consistent team player during the initial stages of the Arsenal manager's term.
Last week in the Carabao Cup, Sagoe Jr, a promising player from Gunners Academy, unexpectedly played in his first game for Arsenal at Brentford.
During Arsenal's 1-0 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium, a 19-year-old named Chaz stood in for Saka and was given acclaim by Arteta. The coach commended Chaz for his noteworthy performance in the U23s over the past few months and noted his frequent practice with the team. Arteta emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for young athletes and expressed satisfaction with Chaz's positive experience on the field.
The upcoming highly anticipated match in the Premier League against Manchester City might be too challenging for the inexperienced winger. Nevertheless, given the shortage of resources for Arsenal in terms of wide players, it would not be unexpected to find him listed as a substitute.
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Mikel Arteta, the boss of Arsenal, spoke out following their loss of 2-1 against Lens.
The situation appears unfavorable.
In the blog section, Arteta mentioned that a player attempted a backheel move in the initial half. Unfortunately, he experienced a physical discomfort and had to be substituted. The issue seemed to be related to the muscles, and he was feeling uneasy.
We have no additional information beyond that. The size of the injury was significant enough to prevent the player from continuing to play the remainder of the game, which causes us concern.
When questioned about whether Saka would be present for the match against City, Arteta responded with uncertainty, stating that he did not have any knowledge on the matter.
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The Importance Of Saka For Arsenal
Sam Blitz from Sky Sports:
It's essential for Arsenal to keep Bukayo Saka free from injury as he is an irreplaceable player. Other team members can be substituted, but losing Saka would have a significant impact on the team's performance.
The reason why Arsenal cannot do without the England winger was evident during their loss to Lens. The team's performance took a nosedive soon after Saka was substituted.
Saka has engaged in the highest number of one-on-one challenges in the Premier League so far this season. He ambitiously seeks to overcome his opponents in these individual clashes with the full-backs, hitting an average of 14 per game.
However, during the evening of Tuesday, Fabio Vieira, who was Chistian's substitute, made only one attempt to outsmart his opponent.
The situation is identical on the opposite end of the spectrum. Gabriel Martinelli's statistics are quite comparable to those of Saka. Although Leandro Trossard could serve as a fitting substitute for the Brazilian player, nevertheless, this Sunday's match against Manchester City requires far more than just adequacy.
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Mikel Arteta is aware of this fact. "We are lacking the presence of two wing players who pose a significant threat," he stated following our loss to Lens. "Their absence hampers the different strengths present within our team."
The outcome of Sunday's match between Arsenal and Man City seems to depend heavily on the team's roster updates.
Avoiding Saka's Injury: Was It Possible?
Looking back on past events can be quite insightful.
Nonetheless, a lot of individuals associated with Arsenal urged for Saka to be rested during their game in Lens. This was because he had encountered a significant amount of forceful tackles during the north London derby and also received a severe injury from Bournemouth in the previous weekend's match.
The famous footballer from England, who experiences a lot of physical obstacles during matches, had to hobble off the field in both recent games. This made it uncertain whether he would be able to play in the upcoming match against Lens. However, he managed to get better and participate fully in training on Monday in preparation for the game in France.
Although some considered it unnecessary to include Saka in the game, Arteta had a different perspective.
When questioned about whether he had any misgivings about selecting Saka to play against Lens, Arteta replied that he did not. He explained that Saka suffered a minor injury recently, but he had recovered and was in good condition. A backheel maneuver during the game probably caused the injury. Arteta emphasized the importance of assessing the injury's severity promptly, as it would be too late to act once it worsened.
The recent occurrences were mostly minor impacts. He hasn't truly skipped any matches. We provided him with some time off during the Brentford game last week, but that was it.
He was eagerly anticipating the game just like every other player, as it was a highly significant Champions League event.
As mentioned earlier, Saka is a crucial player for Arteta's team. He's been selected by the Spanish manager to start in many games. However, there will come a time when Arteta will need to reconsider how often Saka is playing. His minutes will have to be monitored more closely than they have been recently.
There is a possibility that Arsenal will be missing Saka for a considerable amount of time, which could have been prevented if there had been more opportunities for rest and swapping players.
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What Games Might Saka Skip?
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On the 8th of October, there will be a Premier League match at 4:30 pm between Manchester City and an opposing team. The match will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports.
On October 21, Chelsea will play against another team in the Premier League. The match will start at 5.30pm and will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports.
On October 24th, Sevilla will be playing in an away game for the Champions League group stage. The game will start at 8pm.
On the 28th of October, there will be a football match between Sheffield United and another team, which will take place at 3pm and will be a part of the Premier League.
On the first day of November, the West Ham football team will be playing an away game in the Carabao Cup fourth round at 7:30pm.
On November 4, Newcastle will play away from home against an unspecified team in the Premier League. The game starts at 5.30pm and will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports.
Catch the live broadcast of Arsenal versus Manchester City on Sky Sports Premier League this coming Sunday starting at 4pm sharp. The match is scheduled to start at 4.30pm.
Choose Your Arsenal Team Sans Saka And Martinelli
How would your Arsenal lineup appear if Saka and Martinelli were absent? Select your squad using our interactive tool and post it on X (previously known as Twitter) under @SkyFootball.
