Mikel Arteta hopes Bukayo Saka will be fit for this year's World Cup after the England international suffered an injury on Sunday afternoon.
Saka, 21, came off in the 27th minute of Arsenal's 5-0 win against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates to leave Gareth Southgate sweating on his fitness. It's just 22 days until England's tournament opener against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar.
Saka is a key member of Southgate's squad after helping England reach the final of Euro 2020 in the summer of 2021. The winger has won 20 senior caps for his country and is in good form, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 17 appearances this season.
Arteta was asked if Saka is now a doubt for the World Cup after Sunday afternoon's game. "Hopefully not," he replied. "It was a bad kick. Right from the beginning he was limping, but I don’t see any further than that. Let’s see how he is in the next couple of days."
When asked if Saka's injury is a foot or ankle problem, Arteta said: "I think both. He got kicked a few times and he wasn't comfortable."
The injury raises a question on whether players should receive more protection from referees. Saka suffered some heavy challenges before limping out of the game. When asked for his opinion on the debate, Arteta said: "That's for them [referees], honestly."
Do you think Bukayo Saka will be fit for the World Cup? Let us know in the comments below!
The extent of Saka's injury and whether he is available for the World Cup will be revealed in the coming days. Until then, it's a guessing game. "I think he might have tweaked the inside of the knee," Ian Wright told Premier League Productions during the game.
"He looks upset but it's like what we saw with [Raphael] Varane, when it's this close to the tournament. He doesn't look destitute. He doesn't look like he's saying: 'Oh my god, this is going to cause me a problem for the World Cup'. But at the same we're three weeks away and it's the inside of the knee. Hopefully it's not too bad."
Fellow pundit Owen Hargreaves added: "[I] definitely hope not, he's such a fabulous young player. I think he twists his ankle, let's hope he's alright. I'd have him starting for England on the right-hand side. He was limping, he played on when he probably shouldn't have."
Saka is the latest England player to suffer an injury in the days leading up to the World Cup in Qatar. Reece James is almost certain to miss the tournament due to a knee injury sustained earlier this month, although he's refusing to give up on his World Cup dream.
Kyle Walker is also a doubt after undergoing groin surgery at the beginning of this month, while his Manchester City colleague Kalvin Phillips has a shoulder complaint. It's hoped both players will be fit in time for the tournament, but they're unlikely to play before.
The good news for Southgate is John Stones and Harry Maguire have both returned to fitness after suffering muscle four weeks ago. Every team at the World Cup are expected to have a few players missing through injury due to it being a mid-season tournament.
