Arsenal and Mikel Arteta may be concerned their Premier League title charge will take a significant hit after Bukayo Saka appeared to suffer a serious hamstring injury. Following a right-footed cross, the Gunners star fell to the floor holding the back of his leg and appeared to be in some discomfort.
Physios swiftly attended to him with the decision made to bring Leandro Trossard on in his place. "He felt something in his hamstring," Arteta revealed on Saka in his post-match press conference. "He will have to be assessed. Pretty worried about that. It’s difficult to guess now. They have tested him but difficult to say how bad it is."
Saka was later captured leaving Selhurst Park on crutches with that suggesting he will be absent for Arsenal's next game against Ipswich Town which arrives in just five days. Trips to Brentford and Brighton follow that with Saka undoubtedly a major doubt for those fixtures as well.
Arsenal have shown they can cope without their talisman but his expected absence will still be a huge concern. Having said that, the Gunners scored five on Saturday and though Saka was on the pitch for two of those, he did not directly contribute to any of them.
A brace from Gabriel Jesus inside 12 minutes put Arsenal in command despite the fact Ismalia Sarr netted for Palace. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice were also on target with the Arsenal squad responding emphatically to claims they can only score from set-pieces.
With that in mind, Saka has been relied on rather heavily to create chances from open play and score but in his absence, three players, who have been heavily criticised, all stepped up. Martinelli's strike was his first in five league matches while Jesus' brace was the first time in nearly a year he had found the back of the net in a league game.
Havertz meanwhile, despite having scored 11 goals this season, had gone three games without a goal while also rarely contributing. That changed on Saturday evening though as he showed a strikers instincts to tap home Gabriel Jesus' header after it struck the post.
Though Arteta will miss the output Saka offers, three other attackers all appear ready to step up.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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