Official: Saka out of Manchester City game

Manchester City head to the Emirates for a crucial Premier League clash on Sunday and Mikel Arteta’s side could be without their talisman.

Bukayo Saka is now a major doubt for Arsenal’s meeting with Manchester City on Sunday after being forced off with a muscular issue in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at RC Lens.
Saka started at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis and set up Gabriel Jesus for the opening goal but went down on 34 minutes.

The 22-year-old limped off and was replaced by Fabio Vieira, with Lens scoring twice to turn the tide in his absence.

Despite carrying an injury concern, Saka has now started Arsenal’s last three games before being withdrawn. Arteta welcomes City and Pep Guardiola to the Emirates on Sunday and could be without his talisman.

“He tried to backheel a ball in the first half and felt something muscular,” Arteta said after the defeat. “He felt uncomfortable to carry on so we had to take him off.
“We don’t know anything more. It was big enough not to allow him to continue to play the game and that’s a worry for us.”

Pressed on whether Saka would be out for Sunday’s meeting with City, the Gunners boss added: “I have no clue.”
Saka is the latest in a string of injuries at Arsenal, with the winger one of several potential absentees for Sunday’s clash. Jurrien Timber will be unavailable after an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey are both recovering from muscular issues.

Arteta has faced criticism for continuing to start Saka despite those minor injuries showing signs of fatigue. But the Gunners boss insists this issue is not the result of over-playing.

“It was a knock that he [Saka] had the other day and he was perfectly fine,” Arteta added. “It was a backheel, an action that can produce that kind of injury. Let’s see what the extent of it is and afterwards it’s too late.

“The last few were more knocks than anything else. He hasn’t really missed games. We gave him a break against Brentford last week and that was all.”
In a bid to strengthen the gunners defence, Arsenal have been scouting young Italian full-back Michael Kayode ahead of the January transfer window. A report from Italian outlet Firenze Viola has shared more details about the 19-year-old defender’s future.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar appear to always have one eye on the future when it comes to their transfer policy.
Arsenal’s squad is one of the youngest in the Premier League with each of their outfield signings this summer being under the age of 24.

The Gunners brought in Jurrien Timber from Ajax to play across the back line, although a serious injury has scuppered his first season at the club.
Arsenal are still looking at other right backs though and are currently scouting Michael Kayode.

The Fiorentina defender has had a sensational few months, breaking into the Fiorentina first team and winning the Under-19 Euros this summer.

He’s also been named one of the best youth prospects in the world right now and the Gunners would have liked what they have seen from the 19-year-old so far this season.

Arsenal now scouting Kayode

The report from Firenze Viola suggests Arsenal have already ‘set their sights’ on Kayode and ‘admired’ his performance at the weekend.

Fiorentina are expected to tie him down to a new contract that will significantly increase his salary.

Manager Vincenzo Italiano is a big fan of Kayode and said this season: “Kayode has a strong character, he fears nothing and it’s important when you are this young.
The 19-year-old has played four fewer matches than Ben White this season and only started twice in Serie A.

However, he’s already completed six of his eight dribbles running down the right.

For context, White has managed to complete just a single dribble out of his five attempts.

It’s hard to criticise White too harshly for this as he’s been brilliant this season, especially starting the campaign at centre-back.

Playing alongside Bukayo Saka means he doesn’t necessarily need to carry the ball forward very often.

However, the idea of Kayode and Saka combining and causing opposition full-backs constant problems down the right is incredibly exciting.