Mikel Arteta has insisted he has no regrets over playing Bukayo Saka in Arsenal’s trip to RC Lens despite the player exiting the game with an injury.
The winger, 22, pulled up with an apparent hamstring problem during the first half of the Champions League defeat in France.
It followed Saka also departing late on in the 4-0 win at Bournemouth three days earlier, having received a blow to his foot.
With his star forward now a doubt for the Premier League crunch match against Manchester City this weekend, Arteta has faced criticism for including him in the Arsenal line-up but is adamant that he had no reason to leave him out.
“No,” he responded when asked by reporters if he regretted playing Saka, as he explained that the two injuries were fundamentally different in their nature.
“It was a knock that he picked up the other day, and he was perfectly fine.
“It wasn’t an action [injury], it was a backheel that can produce this type of injury. Let’s see what the extent of it is, and afterwards, it was too late as well.
“[Saka’s other worries] were more knocks than any other thing. The last few that he had, he hasn’t really missed games.
“We gave him a break against Brentford in the Carabao Cup, and that was all.”
Saka will undergo a scan on Wednesday to determine if he will miss the visit of City.
