Given how much he's trusted by both Mikel Arteta and Gareth Southgate, it's easy to forget that Bukayo Saka only turned 21 at the start of September. The Arsenal star has already played over 11,600 minutes of senior football for his club and country and was the only Gunners player to feature in all 38 Premier League games last season.
While it's encouraging for Arsenal fans to see one of their own getting regular opportunities for both the Gunners and England, it is also a concern for Arteta. It's rare for a 21-year-old to have already played as many minutes as Saka has, and in a season as congested as the 2022/23 campaign, burnout is a real possibility.
Arteta has previously spoken about Saka's game time and confirmed in May that he planned on speaking to Southgate on how he is used during international breaks. "Yes, we are going to do that," said Arteta.
