Arsenal get huge injury boost for Manchester City showdown after latest scare

Bukayo Saka is anticipated to be ready for Arsenal’s match against Manchester City this coming weekend, having limping off of the north London derby victory against Tottenham.

On Sunday, the Gunners defeated their bitter rivals once more thanks to a header from Gabriel Magalhaes that sealed the three points on their home field.

When Saka’s winger, Ethan Nwaneri, 17, was sent on to replace him after 86 minutes, there was cause for alarm.

Saka, who set up Gabriel for the winner, went down without making any obvious contact, needed treatment on the field, and limped off a little while after.

Arsenal are dealing with a number of injury problems with Martin Odegaard suffering an ankle injury while on international duty with Norway last week. Mikel Merino is sidelined with a shoulder injury with Oleksandr Zinchenko joining Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney on the injured list with Riccardo Calafiori another to return from the international break with a knock.

But Saka’s withdrawal on Sunday was due to cramps with Arsenal confident he will make a full recovery this week, the Evening Standard report.

Arsenal begin their Champions League campaign away to Atalanta on Thursday before their trip to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta revealed after the win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that Saka had asked to be taken off.

‘Suddenly he went down and said he couldn’t continue and we had to take him off,’ Arteta told Sky Sports.

He added in a post-match press conference: ‘I don’t know. I made two changes with the front players and suddenly he’s down. I don’t know exactly what it is but he could not continue.’

Arteta did not give an update on Odegaard’s condition but will speak to the media on Wednesday before the squad fly out to Italy.

Arsenal have won three of their opening four games of the new Premier League season, dropping points at home to Brighton prior to the international break.

City have started their defence of the title with a perfect run of four wins from four, scoring 11 goals in the process.

Subscribe To ANE Talk Trends On Youtube

Subscribe To All Naija Entertainment On Youtube