Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed that Bukayo Saka will miss England duty having been absent from their win over Manchester City.
Concerns over the 22-year-old’s fitness were raised during the week when he limped off in the Gunners’ Champions League defeat to Lens on Tuesday.
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Fans waited to see if he would be included in the squad to face City on Sunday but he missed out.
Saka was named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their upcoming friendly against Australia and Euro 2024 qualifier with Italy but the winger will play no part in either fixture.
When asked about Saka’s availability for England, Arteta told talkSPORT: “No, he will not make it.
“He has not trained for a single session. He is not available to play football at the moment.”
After the squad announcement, England boss Gareth Southgate insisted he wouldn’t risk a player’s physical wellbeing and would go off what Arteta has said.
Saka’s absence from the Arsenal squad saw meant his run of 87 consecutive Premier League games for the side came to an end.
He has scored five goals and assisted another five in ten appearances this season, but the Gunners were still successful without him.
Gabriel Martinelli’s late winner saw Arteta’s side claim a huge three points in what was a subdued clash against City.
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Many feel as though Mateo Kovacic should have been sent off after his challenges on Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
The Croatian remained on the pitch but it wasn’t enough to stop City from losing back-to-back Premier League games.
Arsenal now sit level with north London rivals Tottenham on 20 points, with Spurs top of the table with more goals scored.
It remains to be see how long Saka will be out of action for but it’s clear that Arteta and co can still win without his quality.
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