Will Saliba and Saka Feature Against Chelsea?
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will wait until Friday’s training session before deciding whether to risk the fitness of William Saliba and Bukayo Saka against Chelsea. The Gunners travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday hoping to win what would be an unprecedented fourth consecutive game at the home of their west London rivals.
Bukayo Saka’s Injury
Bukayo Saka’s run of featuring in 87 Premier League matches came to a halt prior to the international break following the minor hamstring strain he picked up during the Champions League defeat against Lens. The 22-year-old missed the landmark victory over Manchester City a fortnight ago and was unable to feature for England in the wins over Australia and Italy.
William Saliba’s Injury
Saliba, meanwhile, suffered a toe injury in the win over the Premier League champions and dropped out the France squad. Asked if the toe injury could represent a long-term concern, Arteta said: ‘Hopefully not. He’s been carrying that for weeks now. We had to use that time to settle and we believed it was the best moment to do that.’
Arteta’s Decision
Arteta will wait until Friday’s training session before deciding whether to risk the fitness of William Saliba and Bukayo Saka against Chelsea. The Gunners travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday hoping to win what would be an unprecedented fourth consecutive game at the home of their west London rivals and Arteta hopes to have two of his main men available.
Saliba missed the run-in last season with a back injury and Arsenal’s title bid fell apart during the period in which the elegant centre-half was unavailable. It is clear that Arteta will be cautious when it comes to deciding whether or not to risk the fitness of his star players, as he knows how important they are to the team’s success.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen whether or not Saliba and Saka will feature against Chelsea, but one thing is for sure: Arteta will make a decision based on what is best for the team and the players. With Arsenal hoping to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive game at Stamford Bridge, it is likely that Arteta will make every effort to ensure that his star players are fit and ready for action.