Bukayo Saka came off early against Crystal Palace.Bukayo Saka came off early against Crystal Palace.
Bukayo Saka came off early against Crystal Palace. | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Bukayo Saka suffered a hamstring injury in Arsenal’s win over Crystal Palace, with the Gunners six points behind Liverpool in the Premier League.
There would have been Arsenal fans who were cheering on their fierce North London rivals on Sunday evening. But any Gunner who indeed was rooting for Tottenham Hotspur to defeat Liverpool were left disappointed.
The Reds delivered an imperious performance, romping to a 6-3 win over Spurs to cement their place at the summit of the Premier League table at Christmas. Arne Slot’s side are five points clear of second-placed Chelsea - and six above Arsenal with a game in hand.
The Gunners had been hoping that it could be the season they finally claimed the silverware after finishing runners-up in the past two years. As things stand, it is looking a tall order despite an impressive 5-1 win over Crystal Palace to put some pressure on the Reds/
And to make the uphill task of trying to close the gap on Liverpool even more difficult, they look set to be without Bukayo Saka for a period. The Arsenal talisman was substituted midway through the first half of the Palace triumph with a hamstring issue - and was spotted leaving Selhurst Park on crutches. Mikel Arteta was concerned about the England international after the win. “He felt something in his hamstring,” said the Arsenal boss. “He couldn’t continue. He will have to be assessed, so I’m pretty worried about that one.”
According to The Times, Saka faces ‘several weeks’ on the sidelines. It is the third hamstring issue that the 23-year-old has sustained this season, which is a ‘worry’. It is suggested that Saka could face up to six weeks unavailable for Arsenal, who were missing fellow winger Raheem Sterling against Palace because of an injury.
In additional, defensive trio Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu are currently unavailable. Arsenal face Ipswich Town on Friday and could be nine points behind Liverpool, who welcome Leicester City to Anfield on Boxing Day.
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