Arsenal are determined to end their 22-year drought without a Premier League title. Last season, they pushed Manchester City to the brink, falling just six points short of the trophy. This year, Mikel Arteta’s squad is ready to contend again, delivering a commanding 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Matchday 17. However, the triumph was overshadowed by concern, as Bukayo Saka was forced to leave the game after just 24 minutes in the first half. After the game, Arteta admitted the team is seriously concerned about this situation.
“We are pretty worried about Saka’s injury,” said Arteta, who added: “He grabbed his hamstring and couldn’t continue. He will have to be assessed but we are pretty worried, yes.”
It is no surprise Arteta is concerned. Bukayo Saka is not only the Premier League‘s top assist provider but also Arsenal’s second-highest scorer this season with five goals. Beyond the numbers, he is the engine of Arsenal’s offense, a player through whom much of their attacking play flows. A product of Arsenal’s youth academy, Saka has grown into a star and a leader, making him the club’s most indispensable player.
Bukayo Saka was filmed leaving Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Pak Stadium on crutches:
Saka leaving Palace on crutches, not looking great #arsenal
The extent of Bukayo Saka’s injury is still unknown, but these images worry the whole team because he could not even leave the stadium by his own means. Bukayo joins the list of injured players: Raheem Sterling, Ben White, O. Zinchenko and T. Tomiyasu. Undoubtedly, the load of matches is affecting the health of professional players, who increasingly have more frequent injuries of greater severity.
Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates with teammate Martin Odegaard
Who should step up and replace Bukayo Saka for the following matches?
We already know that Bukayo Saka is irreplaceable for Arsenal, but the following matches are very important to get on track and maintain the fight for the Premier League. The main candidate to replace him would be the Brazilian, Gabriel Martinelli. Although his ideal position is as a left winger, he has already played as a right winger and his speed, dribbling and definition would be key to maintain the high competitiveness of the team.
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In addition to Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, the team’s other Brazilian player, could gain the prominence he expressed his desire for in the following games. Gabriel Jesus has never been a normal striker, he has always been seen as a modern striker and therefore is able to adapt to the left and right wings without any problem. His reading of the game and dribbling could be very useful despite not being the fastest winger. His talent for scoring goals could be vital alongside Kai Havertz with whom they could exchange heights and confuse opposing defenders.
