Bukayo Saka Out for Weeks Due to Quad Injury
Bukayo Saka faces “weeks” on the sidelines with a quad injury, but Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal will not block William Saliba’s route back into the France set-up as the league leaders juggle fitness and international demands.
Saka ruled out until after break
Saka limped off during Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich last month and has not featured since. The damage is significant enough to rule him out until after the international window.
“We're talking about obviously weeks, let's say after the international break,” Arteta said ahead of Hull’s visit to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
“He's going to start hitting the pitch and start to have more activity and see how he feels, but unfortunately he's going to be out for a while.”
It is a blow both for Arsenal and for England, with Saka left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad as he recovers. Arsenal, chasing the Premier League title, now face a key stretch without one of their most decisive players.
Konsa cleared, Saliba waiting
There was better news on Ezri Konsa. The defender, who was withdrawn during Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Slavia Prague, has been passed fit to face Hull.
Konsa, signed in August after leaving Aston Villa, arrived in part to bolster cover for Saliba, whose long-running back problem has kept him out for months. Saliba returned to the matchday squad in Prague but stayed on the bench, still searching for his first minutes of the season.
Even so, Arteta made it clear he will not stand in the way if Zinedine Zidane decides to bring Saliba straight back into the France squad.
“They have all the information. Now it's about them, about Zinedine in this case, to give the call,” Arteta said. “We will accept whatever it is. It's more between them because William needs minutes as well.”
Arteta knows what a recall would mean to the centre-back.
“I know how much he loves to be around the national team. It's a new manager, a really exciting one as well, so whatever he's decided is fine for us.”
Arsenal’s English core takes centre stage
Even without Saka, Tuchel’s latest England list has a distinct Arsenal flavour. Five players from Arteta’s squad made the cut: Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice and Konsa.
“It is a proud thing to have a big English core in the national team,” Arteta said. “Our club, it is something that is part of our identity. They are super happy to be back, you can see that.”
For now, the Arsenal manager wants minds fixed firmly on Hull and the Premier League summit, not on flights to join up with their countries.
“Let's focus on tomorrow and then after that they can go and do their bit with the national team.”
Saka will be watching from the stands. Saliba is waiting for minutes. The rest of Arsenal’s English spine now carry the weight of club and country in a season that is starting to ask hard questions of depth, durability and ambition.
