The news that their club has completed a £65 million transfer to make up for the injury absence of talisman Bukayo Saka has buoyed Arsenal supporters. The 23-year-old English winger, so instrumental in their successful run this season, now faces a long spell on the sidelines with a torn right hamstring.
Saka's Importance to Arsenal's Attack
Saka has been one of the main protagonists in Mikel Arteta's side this season, given that he is directly involved in almost half of Arsenal's goals across the Premier League and Champions League. Whether by scoring or by assisting, he makes things happen on the pitch, while his precision in set-pieces creates important moments for the Gunners.
Yet he might have been the most valuable player to Arsenal, based on injuries occurring prior to the January transfer period; an injury to Saka hurt Arsenal's ambitions all the same. "It's not looking good; he's going to be out for many weeks," confirmed Arteta this week, saying, "I cannot be too specific because I don't know but it will be many weeks." And now that such news was in play, Arteta had to make sure he could cover it-a result brought on by the £65m transfer.
The Extent of Saka's Injury
This is now his third hamstring problem of the season, and it heightens the concern for Saka after he was forced to limp off in the early stages of England's 2-1 loss to Greece in October. He then missed the international break in November after he suffered a similar problem against Chelsea. Recovery time now stretching into the new year, it seems uncertain whether he will make it back before the end of January.
A Double Blow for Arsenal's Attack
To make matters worse, Raheem Sterling - brought in as Saka's understudy - is now staring at a spell on the sidelines. The 30-year-old winger pulled out of training on Friday with an issue in his knee and will require further tests to ascertain the severity of his injury. "He's going to be out for weeks. He needs further testing tomorrow to understand the injury, and unfortunately, he's going to be out for a while," Arteta explained.
With Saka and Sterling both out for a number of weeks, the new £65m signing becomes the hope of the Gunners faithful to step up in this void that has been created in such an important period.
What's Next for Arsenal?
With Arteta missing two of his key attacking players, a lot of the focus again will fall on the new signing and how he can fit into the team. The immediate concern for Arsenal will be to keep this momentum going in the Premier League and Champions League by relying on the depth in the squad to push this phase.
Keep an eye out for more updates on Saka's recovery and other latest transfer news as Arsenal passes through this injury crisis.
