When is Bukayo Saka back from injury for Arsenal?
Bukayo Saka has been out of action since December, but the Arsenal winger is getting ever closer to a return from a hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old was forced out of the 5-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 21 December and has not played since.
The England superstar had to go under the knife, with an operation on his hamstring in late December.
Speaking after the surgery, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said on 27 December: ‘He had a procedure, everything went well, but unfortunately he will be out for many, many weeks.
‘I said many weeks, so I think it will be more than two months. I don’t know exactly how much longer.
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‘I think it will depend, you know, on how the scar tissue starts to heal in the first week or so. Let’s see. It’s very difficult to say.’
Saka’s own reaction to the operation was a post on Instagram from his hospital bed, which read: ‘The majority see obstacles, but few see the opportunities. Recovery has begun and I’m coming back stronger! Thank you all for your messages #GodsPlan.’
It has already been more than two months that Saka has been out for, with the forward yet to return to a matchday squad and he is still not ready to do that.
Gabriel Martinelli is also out with a hamstring problem and when Arteta was asked if either would be back before the international break this month, he said: ‘I don’t think so, no.’
Asked if the two forwards could return for the first game after the international break, at home to Fulham on April 1, he was much more optimistic.
‘I think so, but again, let’s see how they evolve in the next few weeks to make the right steps as well,’ said the Spaniard in late February.
‘And then after that, they’ve been out for a long, long time, so we’re going to have to integrate them as well, probably gradually. So they’re evolving well, but they’re still a bit far.
‘We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss where they are, especially Gabi. He has probably a chance before Bukayo to come in, but how soon that is, we’ll have to see how it goes in the next week or ten days.’
Arteta has since been a bit cryptic on Saka’s return, saying: ‘Well, I don’t know. We have a long-term injury. What is faster? In a 10-day injury, three days is a lot because it’s 30 per cent. In three months, a week, probably is not that much.
‘But it’s too early. It’s an average stage of the rehab when we get a little bit closer and he starts to do more demanding stuff and more load, we will see where he is.’
The earliest return date for Saka appears to be that home clash with Fulham on April 1, with the next outing being at Everton in the Premier League four days later.
The first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals will follow, with Arsenal having more than one foot in that round after a 7-1 win over PSV in the first leg of their last 16 tie.
The Gunners may well have their star man back and playing again for the biggest games of their season.
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