Arsenal have been dealt a major blow with the news that Bukayo Saka is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing hamstring surgery. Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that the 23-year-old winger is likely to be out for “more than two months” following the procedure.
Saka sustained the injury during Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace on December 21st and left the stadium on crutches. He subsequently missed Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Ipswich Town on Friday, their first game since his injury.
“He had a procedure,” Arteta said after the Ipswich match. “Everything went well, but unfortunately, he will be out for many, many weeks. I said many weeks, so I think it will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer.”
The Arsenal manager explained that the recovery timeline will depend on how quickly the scar tissue heals and Saka regains mobility. “It will depend on how the scar tissue starts to heal, the first week or so, the mobility of that. Let’s see, it’s very difficult to say.”
This news comes as a significant setback for Arsenal, as Saka has been a key player this season, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists in 24 appearances across all competitions. His absence will be keenly felt as the Gunners continue their push for the Premier League title.
However, there was some positive news on the injury front for Arsenal, with Arteta revealing that Raheem Sterling’s knee injury is not as serious as initially feared. The Chelsea loanee could be back in contention sooner than expected.
“Yes, we have to see this week how he evolves,” Arteta said. “We probably expected the knee injury to take longer than it has evolved in the last few days. Hopefully, that’s good news because we need him.”
Arsenal, currently six points behind leaders Liverpool, face Brentford on New Year’s Day in their next Premier League fixture.
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