Bukayo Saka injury update deteriorates and primed for surgery as Arsenal legend criticises Arteta over treatment of star player 

Bukayo Saka injury update deteriorates and primed for surgery as Arsenal legend criticises Arteta over treatment of star player

Bukayo Saka could still play against Manchester City as Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg criticises Mikel Arteta over his refusal to rest his star player.

Saka has been nursing an injury for the last few weeks but Arteta has failed to give the winger – who’s got five goals and five assists in all competitions – a rest of any significance.

The 22-year-old stretched his run of consecutive Premier League starts to an incredible 87 games in the 4-0 win oer Bournemouth, but was forced off early in the game.

But

he was again included in the starting lineup against Lens, in a decision which backfired for Arteta, who was forced to replace the England international in the 34th minute.

According to the Daily Mail, Saka underwent an initial scan on Wednesday and the injury is not considered to be a serious one at this stage.

The report adds: ‘Saka will undergo further medical tests on Thursday but has not been ruled out of the showdown with City just yet, with the Gunners still hopeful he will be able to play some part in the contest.’

Ljungberg, who coached Saka early in his Arsenal career, has questioned Arteta’s refusal to rest his star player.

He told CBS Sports: “Looking at this makes all the Arsenal fans a little bit worried. He was touching the back of his hamstring.

“I have been a little bit like rest him a little bit. I felt he’s played a bit too much. He’s still young and you say they can run as much as they can when they’re young.

“Rest him! He’s the the most important player give him a break sometimes. I’m a bit worried for Arsenal at the weekend and how they’re going to play without him.”

Asked for a prognosis on Saka after a 2-1 defeat to Lens, Arteta said: “He tried to backheel the ball in the first-half and felt something, it was something muscular and he was uncomfortable to carry on so we had to take him off.

“We don’t know anything more than that, obviously it was big enough not to allow him to continue to play the game and that’s obviously a worry for us. He was really looking forward to play. Every player (was). It was a big Champions League night.

“I told him I painted a picture, the scenario, the type of game we are going to have to face today and they all knew about it.

“But the Champions League is so difficult to win, very difficult to win away from home and today we take a big lesson as well.

“It was a knock that he picked up the other day, and he was perfectly fine. It wasn’t an action, it was a backheel that can produce that type of injury. Let’s see what the extent of it is, and afterwards, it was too late as well.”