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Premier League | Gameweek 8

Oct 8, 2023 at 4.30pm UK

Emirates Stadium

Arsenal
1 - 0
Man City

Martinelli (86')
Jorginho (11'), Jesus (90+3')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Silva (23'), Kovacic (29'), Ederson (90+3')

Arsenal handed Bukayo Saka injury concern ahead of Manchester City clash

By Andrew Delaney, Reporter | 03 October 2023

Arsenal handed Saka injury concern ahead of Man City clash

Bukayo Saka is an injury doubt for Arsenal's weekend encounter with Manchester City, after limping off in their 2-1 defeat at Lens this evening.

Arsenal have been handed a potential injury blow regarding Bukayo Saka ahead of their crunch encounter with Manchester City at the weekend.

Saka was replaced shortly after the half-hour mark in Arsenal's Champions League clash versus Lens this evening, making him a doubt for the weekend's fixture.

Mikel Arteta's side fell to a 2-1 defeat in Northern France, despite taking the lead early on thanks to Gabriel Jesus, who was set up by Saka.

However, just 20 minutes after assisting the opener, and once Lens had pulled level, Saka limped off at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

The initial prognosis appears to be an issue with his left leg, but confirmation from the Arsenal camp is yet to come.

Sky Sports News claims that first thoughts are that Saka may be okay, and the issue is not a serious one, but speculation cannot be made at this stage.

It is believed that Arteta was not willing to take any chances with the player, and substituted him immediately after the issue became known.

Whether the move was precautionary with the Man City game on the horizon remains unknown, but his absence was felt as Arsenal fell to defeat.

Saka overcame injury doubts last week to start in a 87th consecutive Premier League match for the Gunners in a 4-0 win at Bournemouth, where he scored the opener.

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka walks off the pitch after being substituted due to injury on September 30, 2023 © Reuters

After two very productive Premier League seasons, where Saka was ever-present and contributed to 43 goals, missing a game of this magnitude could potentially be devastating for the Gunners.

Saka has started this season positively as well, scoring four and setting up two on the league front while also contributing to another three goals in Europe already.

Once again though, Saka will go into the weekend as an injury doubt in what is set to be Arsenal's biggest game of the season so far.

The Gunners sit just one point City in third after making up three points on the current title holders last weekend after Pep Guardiola's side lost at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With Gareth Southgate also set to name his next England squad in the coming days for the potentially-crucial Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy, the injury could not be timed any worse.

Saka has been a key component in the England side which currently sit top of their qualifying section - scoring four and setting up another two in five matches so far.

England are six points ahead of Italy but have played a game more, and with Ukraine and North Macedonia still in hot pursuit, qualification is not assured just yet.