Arsenal lose Saka due to injury to Sheffield

Arsenal have reasons to be alarmed after seeing Bocayo Saka out against Sheffield United on Sunday with a thigh injury.

The 19-year-old fell to the ground in pain midway through the second half after an accident in which he did not come into contact with any other player. Saka could not continue and had to be replaced by Willian in the 69th minute.

Speaking on BT Sport after the match, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said: “Bukayo Saka, the last thing we need is another injury, but he felt something in his thigh.”

The England international has become one of Arsenal’s most important players this season, with only Granit Xhaka playing more minutes between the squad.

Arsenal are back to ninth in the Premier League table thanks to their 3-0 win over Blades on Sunday, but a European place is still a long way off. Mikel Arteta’s men are still nine points behind in the qualifying spots for the next European League and ten in the Champions League, which seems absolutely impossible to achieve again.

A big victory over the Red Lantern meadow was achieved thanks in particular to a double by Alexandre Lacazette, punctuated by a goal by Gabriel Martinelli twenty minutes after the end of the match.

The preoccupation for Arsenal this season has become the European League, and they fervently hope Saca will be fit for Thursday’s quarter-final match against Sparta Prague.

Arsenal drew 1-1 with the Czechs in the second leg on Thursday, leaving them at a disadvantage ahead of the second leg in Prague next week. The club also suffers from some major injuries on defense, with Kieran Tierney and David Luiz absent for several weeks.

Saca confirmed his place as one of the best young players in the Premier League in the 2020-21 season, with six goals and seven assists in 37 matches. The youngster has also been selected four times for the England national team, with the European Championships approaching this summer.