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Bukayo Saka, Arsenal's winger, underwent surgery on his injured hamstring, which was sustained during the team's 5-1 victory against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last week. The first diagnosis was that Saka would not need surgery, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged that treatment was required after all. Now the Arsenal boss has confirmed that Saka will be out of the action for quite some time, more than two months.
In the 2024-25 season, Bukayo Saka has been an important player for Arsenal, having scored nine goals and contributed 13 assists in 24 games across all competitions. Mikel Arteta, on Friday, provided an update on Saka's injury after Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town. "He had a procedure, everything went well," Arteta said. He further mentioned that Saka will be out of action for an extended period.
Arsenal would be different without Saka: Mikel Arteta remarked
"Unfortunately, he will be out for many, many weeks. It will be more than two months," Mikel Arteta added. The exact duration of Saka's absence is uncertain, as it depends on the healing process of the scar tissue and the mobility of the affected area on his hamstring. The severity of Saka's injury will come as a major blow to Arteta, who is attempting to lead Arsenal to their first Premier League title in two decades.
Arsenal will be playing against Brentford on New Year's Day. Ipswich, who are currently second from bottom and three points from safety, play Chelsea on Monday night. Arteta predicted that Arsenal is going to be "different" without Saka. He realizes he doesn't have a direct substitute for the 23-year-old. However, based on this information, it may take some time to develop a working formula in his absence as he enters a lengthy period of inactivity.
Arsenal is presently six points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table. The club will now have to rely majorly on the team's performance and compensate the winger’s absence. As Arteta stated, "We must rely on the team, not the individual."
