Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided the latest updates on captain Martin Odegaard and winger Bukayo Saka, both of whom came off with injuries in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Leeds United.
Odegaard was replaced in the 38th minute by teenager Ethan Nwaneri, while Saka came off with an apparent hamstring injury in the 54th minute.
Both players also missed a chunk of last campaign with significant injury worries, something the club will hope to avoid again this season.
Speaking after the match, Arteta fears Saka’s injury problem is significant while he did not confirm the severity of Odegaard’s injury worry.
“Those are the negatives of the day. Martin felt something in his shoulder when he landed. We’ll have to scan it tomorrow [Sunday] and understand a bit better.
And Bukayo, while he was running with the ball, carrying the ball, wrestling with the defender, he felt something in his hamstring. I think it’s the other one. It’s not the same one as the previous injury”, Arteta revealed.
With Kai Havertz also sidelined following an injury in last week’s victory over Manchester United, the Spanish manager will hope both of his prized talents are back in action as soon as possible.
“He felt something while he was sprinting. That’s never a good sign. We’ll have to wait tomorrow, speak to the doctors as well and understand better what he does. But he’s had these injuries before. He knows exactly the feeling of that”, Arteta continued.
“It’s been two weeks and we’ve already lost Kai, Martin and Bukayo, so it tells you how well equipped you have to be in this league to manage and to maintain the level that we want.”
Victor Gyokeres (2), Jurrien Timber (2) and Bukayo Saka scored the goals to lead the Gunners to an emphatic 5-0 win over Leeds United on Saturday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
