Although Arsenal fans would have been delighted to see Bukayo Saka score two goals in two starts for England at the World Cup, fears of him picking up an injury or being overplayed remain in the minds of many.
The 21-year-old arrived in Qatar having started in all 14 Premier League matches for the Gunners this season, playing at least 80 minutes in 13 of those games. Saka was also the only Arsenal player to feature in all 38 league fixtures last season, starting 36 times.
Injury fears became a reality when Saka limped off in the first half against Nottingham Forest last month, although he did return for the wins at Chelsea and Wolves. Despite this, a combination of the unprecedented fixture schedule and Saka’s game time has seen concerns surrounding his fitness grow.
