Bukayo Saka will not be part of the England squad for tomorrow’s Nations League friendly with Finland in Helsinki.
After picking up a muscular problem in Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley, it’s been agreed the player should return to Arsenal for assessment.
Saka appeared to be in discomfort after the Greeks scored the first of their two goals and limped from the field on 50 minutes.
An update from #ThreeLions camp as @BukayoSaka87 and @curtisjr_10 withdraw from the squad.
22 players will train this morning before @MarcGuehi13 joins Lee Carsley for the pre-match media conference in Helsinki at 6.30pm (UK).
— England (@England) October 12, 2024
In all likelihood, we won’t get an update on his fitness from the club until Friday when Mikel Arteta faces the media ahead next weekend’s trip to Bournemouth.
In the absence of Martin Odegaard, who suffered an Interlull injury of his own last month, Saka has been integral to Arsenal’s positive start to the season.
The 23-year-old has seven assists and three goals to his name in 10 appearances. He’ll be sorely missed if we have to rest him, but let’s see how things play out.
Hmm
Great point.
Indeed.
I disagree.
After a week of not knowing whether he’ll be okay to start at Bournemouth it sure will be nice to get that update from Arteta on Friday so we can continue to have no idea whether he’ll be okay to start at Bournemouth.
Liverpool after Bournemouth, on the 27th, at the least let’s hope he is fit and well for that match, and beyond.
At least he’s home. I really hope this is just a scare.
These absolutely shite, pointless international games are a joke. I fully appreciate every country has their national team but I find so many of these games pointless. We’ve only just finished the euros, so many players dropping like flys.
All international games should be kept together in a 2 month block after the season has ended. That way these injuries affect the international teams rather than the club teams. Scattering them around like this makes no sense..
That suggestion has been raised a fair few times by most of us but FIFA knows, I suspect no one will care.
I’d drop him for the Bournemouth game, even the one against inter
Drop is a harsh word, rest is more appropriate.
We ‘should’ be able to go to Bournemouth without Saka and get a result, it’s just Jesus’ form creates an even bigger drop-off in quality. Sterling wide right?
Depends who else is available and where MA sees this game being won. We are in a phase now of less predictability and greater adaptability. Bournemouth away is not an easy out. They are one of the top pressing teams in the league. Without Odegaard, I suspect MA will do what he did CS the similarly aggressive Spurs and Atalanta: simply go over them to Havertz, have the midfield be ready for the second balls and create chances that way. I suspect he will continue with using two up top and two in midfield. He could also say screw that,… Read more »
Lets take no risks here, I’m worried that it cannot be too minor because if it was Carsley would never let him go. If there is any worry, give him a rest next weekend so he’s fully fit before we play him again. With Jesus and Sterling we now have options, at least for one game.
Never understand why it takes so long for them to send the player back to the club where the medical staff have full medical history and local specialists.
At least he can finally get a rest – every cloud and all that