Arteta sweating on Saka, Ødegaard injuries for Burnley game

Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta expressed concerns over winger Bukayo Saka’s fitness ahead of the upcoming Premier League fixture against Burnley during a press conference on Friday.

Saka sustained an injury late in the Champions League victory over Sevilla, making his availability uncertain for the England squad after being named just a day earlier.

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Arteta emphasized the importance of Saka representing both his club and country, especially after a prior incident involving an international call-up while nursing an injury.

“Hopefully not. We want our players to play for their club and play for their national teams,” Arteta informed reporters.

“B [Saka] had to leave the pitch because he was in quite a lot of pain. He didn’t train yesterday and let’s see if he can make it tomorrow.”

Arsenal’s injury list is lengthening, with defender Takehiro Tomiyasu and captain Martin Ødegaard also facing uncertainties for the upcoming game, as informed by Arteta.

“A few are still in contention,” Arteta said. “We need to give them 24 more hours to give them a chance to be involved in the game, but we won’t know anything until tomorrow.

“He’s [Ødegaard] still racing [against the clock]. He’s trying everything that he can so let’s see. It’s a possibility.”

Moreover, Arteta commented on the recent controversy surrounding VAR decisions, reflecting on the impact on the game and the time it might take to address these imperfections.

“Let’s try to do everything that we can, individually and collectively to improve the game in every aspect and that’s it.”

With Saturday’s fixture against Burnley, Arsenal aims to recover from their first league loss of the season and maintain their status among the top contenders. Arteta acknowledged the challenge posed by Burnley, despite their position near the bottom of the table.

“Looking back on the games they have played and the results they’ve got, in some of them they merited much more than what they got,” Arteta said.

“But that is the difficulty of this league. Sometimes when you deserve more you don’t get it because the quality of the oppositions is so high.”

Arsenal currently holds the fourth position in the table, trailing leaders Manchester City by three points, while Burnley has collected only four points from 11 games, positioning them second from the bottom in the league.