Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink doesn't see Arsenal's overreliance on Bukayo Saka as an issue after Ian Wright expressed his concerns over the England star.
Arsenal continue to lean on Saka's attacking output this season with only two recognised strikers currently at the club in Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.
Wright admitted he was "worried" that the winger's overexposure to the first team at such a young age could be detrimental despite his meteoric rise over the past two years.
The Gunners legend told Optus Sport after Arsenal's win over Southampton in January: "When you consider Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe had to go off with cramp, that just indicates the amount of work they were doing.
"Saka, everybody is worried about him because he is so young and he has the weight of being expected to create for all of Arsenal – same with Smith Rowe and when Martinelli comes back – but they are doing it at the moment.
"Arsenal have to play with that intensity. They kept it simple, closed them down, got forward quicker, and they are able to punish teams.
"Smith Rowe went off with cramp, you're hoping Saka can stay fit, if anything happens to those guys, from a creative point of view.
"Those are the guys that are pushing Arsenal forward alongside Thomas Partey [and] if anything happens to them it could start to stall again."
Hasselbaink concedes that Saka "carries" Arsenal, but the former Chelsea striker is confident that he can handle that extra responsibility and predicts a "bright future" for the youngster.
He said ahead of Arsenal's clash with the Blues on Sky Sports: "He is carrying this team. It does not affect him and he is the same person. For me, he is someone that will get better, only get better and he has a bright future. He needs to score more goals, but he has got a bright future ahead of him."
Wright would later double down on his assessment of Saka following his initial verdict. He told his Wrighty's House podcast: "Bukayo Saka, I love him.
"I feel for him because of the weight (of responsibility). I watched him the other day (at Sheffield United) and it was one of the first times I saw signs of frustration. With people not giving him the ball where he needed the ball.
"His face was a little bit contorted. That's what Arsenal have got to be careful of now.
"I put him in (the running for PFA Young Player of the Year) because of his emergence and what he’s done and the weight of the club that he's carrying.
"I hope that things can change for him soon and I can feel a little bit more confident about what's going on. Saka is a talent that we need to nurture and make sure we get that right.
"You see little things in his face and I hope he’s okay because that’s where frustration can start to seep in."
