Arteta Vows to Crack the Code Behind Saka's Troubling Injury Pattern
Mikel Arteta has pledged to help Bukayo Saka become "more resilient" following the Arsenal star's latest hamstring setback, while also promising to "investigate" the cause to prevent similar injuries going forward.
Saka was sidelined for four months in the latter part of last season following hamstring surgery in late December. At the time of his injury, he was tracking to break the Premier League's single-season assist record, but his prolonged absence likely cost Arsenal their championship hopes.
The 23-year-old has endured two additional thigh or muscular problems in 2024, along with various minor similar issues in 2023 and 2020.
Arteta acknowledged that Saka's injury pattern is "clearly" worrying when addressing the media before Sunday's Premier League encounter with defending champions Liverpool, a match Saka will sit out after being forced off during the recent Leeds United fixture.
"Particularly when discussing a speed merchant, someone who enters that explosive zone frequently during matches, requiring that acceleration, that shift in tempo and velocity, to maximize his threat level," he explained. "We'll analyze once more what caused this, and build his resilience.
"Regrettably, injuries are an inevitable part of any career. He hasn't experienced too many, considering the volume of matches he's featured in at such a young age. [However, injuries are] definitely something we aim to eliminate."
On this occasion, Saka has escaped the requirement for surgical intervention to address the issue, though he's still anticipated to be "unavailable for several weeks" and may not return in time for the first fixture following the international window.
"It's not as severe as his previous injury," Arteta clarified. "Very unlucky to sustain it because it's on the opposite leg. It's a movement that demands maximum effort from him. Then, he collides with his opponent, needs to accelerate once more, and felt something give. So he'll be absent for a couple of weeks."