Arsenal have struggled this season to get their two most creative influences – Bukaya Saka and Martin Odegaard – on the pitch at the same time.
The talismanic duo featured alongside each other in just 14 of the Gunners’ 31 games in all competitions, with Arsenal losing just once while the pair shared the pitch. However, they are unlikely to be running at the Emirates Stadium anytime soon.
Long term injury Odegaard was followed by a long spell on the sidelines for Saka earlier this season, with Arsenal suffering without the latter since entering the treatment room before Christmas.
Arsenal need their star boy back as soon as possible, so what’s the latest on Saka’s injury?
Arsenal they were right to fear the worst when Saka hit the deck and limped off during the 5-1 win over Crystal Palace on 21 December. The winger lasted just 24 minutes before being withdrawn with a hamstring problem and immediately went for a scan to determine the severity of the problem.
Saka has proven himself to be extremely durable during recent campaigns, especially given the rough treatment he so often receives from opposition defenders. This is certainly the most devastating and longest injury in his career so far.
Saka operated on a knee injury shortly after the trip to Selhurst Park, but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted the striker will be out for at least two months while he recovers.
Speaking back in Decemberrevealed the Spaniard: “He had an operation and everything went well, but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks.
“It will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer. It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, and the mobility of that. It’s very hard to say.”
Saka was recently seen at Arsenal’s training ground, but he is still a long way from returning. Late February is the earliest we could see the 23-year-old back on the pitch, with a March return date currently looking the most likely.
Commenting on Saka’s recovery, Arteta recently said: “A lot is there. It’s great to have him. There’s always a smile on his face. He’s going through a period that’s unknown for him because he’s never been injured for such a long time.
“We talked about things that we can do together and things that he can do to use his time in the right way to be a better person, to make sure that he spends his time appropriately with the opportunities that he has, so that when he comes back, he’s in the right place.”
Arsenal’s No.7 has already missed five games since injuring the hamstring and is likely to miss at least another ten if he is not back by March. During this period, he will be absent due to a series of key clashes in three different competitions.
in Premier Leaguehe will miss the second north London derby of the season, as well as the duels with current champions Manchester City and high-flying Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. By the time he returns, the title race could be over with Liverpool in a commanding position.
Saka will also be watching from the sidelines as Arsenal complete their Champions League run. The matches with Dinamo Zagreb and Girona will pass him by as the Gunners are looking for an automatic place in the round of 16, while the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final with Newcastle United will also be played without the winger.
Arsenal have been alarmingly toothless in recent outings and that creative vacuum has seen them stumble at the start of the new year. With Gabriel Jesus also picking up a nasty injury during last weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United which could affect him miss the rest of the seasonThe Gunners may need to address their attacking issues in the January transfer window.
At the moment, Arsenal’s four senior strikers are Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and loanee Raheem Sterling, none of whom are in particularly attractive form. Spreading the cash this winter could be key.
Arsenal have been linked with Brentford winger Bryan Mbeuma and the Cameroon international, who has scored 13 times in the Premier League this term, could be the perfect, if expensive, alternative to Saka.
Nic Williams has long been admired but the Athletic Club winger prefers to play on the left, while the Gunners missed out on the chance to sign long-term target Pedro Neto in the summer as Chelsea swooped in to seal the deal quickly.
READ THE LATEST ARSENAL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND GOSSIP
