Bukayo Saka Injury Update: Arsenal Plans Without Him
Bukayo Saka will not be back in an Arsenal shirt any time soon – and Mikel Arteta knows he has to plan without his talisman.
The winger, who limped off with a quad injury in the 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich last month, has already missed out on selection for upcoming England fixtures. Now comes the more sobering club verdict.
“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.
The timeline is clear enough. Recovery first, then a slow reintroduction.
“He's going to start hitting the pitch and start to have more activity and see how he feels,” Arteta explained. “But unfortunately he's going to be out for a while.”
For a side chasing the Premier League title, losing Saka for “weeks” strips away one of their most reliable sources of goals, assists and sheer chaos in the final third. Arsenal have lived with that threat on the right flank for years; now they must live without it.
Defensive reshuffle and Saliba’s next step
There was at least better news at the back. Ezri Konsa, withdrawn during the 2-1 win at Slavia Prague on Wednesday, has been cleared to face Hull.
The former Aston Villa defender arrived in August with a clear brief: bolster Arsenal’s options and cover for William Saliba, whose back injury kept him out for an extended spell. That insurance policy has already proved valuable.
Saliba finally made it back into a matchday squad for the first time this season in Prague, even if he stayed on the bench. The next question hovers over his international future.
Arteta made it plain he will not block a call-up if new France coach Zinedine Zidane decides to bring the centre-back back into the national fold.
“They have all the information. Now it's about them, about Zinedine in this case, to give the call,” said Arteta. “We will accept whatever it is. It's more between them because William needs minutes as well.”
He knows what the France setup means to Saliba.
“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.”
Minutes for Arsenal or minutes for France – either way, Arteta just wants his defender back into rhythm.
English core at the top of the table
Arsenal sit top of the Premier League, and that status is reflected in the latest England squad list. Even with Saka sidelined, Thomas Tuchel can still call on five Arsenal players: Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice and Konsa.
For Arteta, that is not just a statistic. It is part of the club’s identity.
“It is a proud thing to have a big English core in the national team,” he said. “Our club, it is something that is part of our identity. They are super happy to be back, you can see that.”
The manager’s message, though, is simple: country can wait.
“Let's focus on tomorrow and then after that they can go and do their bit with the national team.”
First Hull at the Emirates, without Saka. Then the international break, with Arsenal’s English core scattered across the globe. When the league resumes, Arteta will hope the next phase of the season begins with Saliba fully involved – and Saka finally back on the grass, ready to tilt the title race again.
