Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka continues his battle to recover from a hamstring injury.
Saka has yet to return to full fitness, meaning Arsenal will be without the English forward for their upcoming match against Nottingham Forest. However, there is good news for the club, as William Saliba could make his comeback in this Premier League fixture.
Both Saka and Saliba picked up injuries before the recent international break. On August 23, during Arsenal’s 5-0 home victory over Leeds United, Saka suffered a hamstring strain. The 24-year-old right winger had scored a goal and played 53 minutes before being forced off.
Saka was also unable to feature in the following match against Liverpool and missed England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
Saliba injured his ankle at the start of Arsenal’s 1-0 loss at Liverpool on August 31, playing just five minutes before leaving the field.
Arsenal face Nottingham at home on Saturday. In a press conference ahead of the match, manager Mikel Arteta provided an update on Saka and Saliba’s fitness:
“Bukayo won’t be available right now. He is working to return as quickly as possible, and we have to follow that process. He is progressing very well. At the moment, he is doing specific work. When we increase the intensity, we’ll see how his body responds.”
“William trained today. We will need to decide whether to play him.”
Arsenal begin their Champions League campaign on Tuesday against Athletic Bilbao and then face Manchester City on September 21. When asked if Saka might miss these matches, Arteta said, “Not at the moment.”
In Arsenal’s first match of the season, Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury and later required surgery. Arteta said the German forward is now in a better place, though he could not provide a timeline for his return:
“Kai is feeling well. He is walking comfortably and has started some work. Surgery was a very tough decision for him, but it was the right one.”
Another forward, Gabriel Jesus, is still recovering from an ACL injury and is expected to be out until December or January.
Arsenal currently sit third in the Premier League table with six points from three matches, winning two so far this season.
