Bukayo Saka Reveals the Alarming Signal He Sent During England's Victory

Arsenal's attacking midfielder Bukayo Saka has dismissed worries about a possible injury sustained during England's victory against Serbia on Thursday.

Saka netted the opener for England with a beautiful volley in the middle of the first half, but following his celebration, he was quickly observed signaling to the sideline, making circular hand motions that typically indicate a player wants to be substituted.

The 24-year-old appeared visibly distressed immediately afterward but ultimately completed the entire 90 minutes of the World Cup qualifying match, with Saka later explaining that he wasn't requesting to leave the field.

"I simply needed to swap my boots," Saka, who was sidelined at the beginning of the season due to a hamstring problem, stated. "That's all it was."

Shortly following Saka's communication with the bench, he hurried to the sideline for new footwear, enabling him to carry on with the match.

Arsenal Already Concerned About Multiple Injury Problems

Although head coach Mikel Arteta has provided positive news regarding players like Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli, this international window hasn't been free from worries for Arsenal.

Norway's manager Ståle Solbakken disclosed earlier this week that skipper Martin Ødegaard is still "quite far from" making his comeback, while defender Riccardo Calafiori suffered an injury after joining up with Italy's squad.

Calafiori missed training with his national teammates prior to Thursday's win over Moldova, where he was absent from the lineup. Italian media reports suggest the defender is dealing with discomfort but might still participate in Sunday's match against Norway.

"I must express gratitude to players like [Nicolò] Barella, Calafiori and [Alessandro] Bastoni for their presence, as their availability wasn't guaranteed," Italy's coach Gennaro Gattuso acknowledged.

The Gunners return to Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur following the international period for another installment of the north London rivalry, and Arteta will hope to have maximum squad depth available for what remains one of the campaign's most crucial fixtures.