Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka could reportedly be likely to come back against Manchester City for this weekend’s big game in the Premier League.
The Gunners have been without Saka in the last few games due to a hamstring injury, though Noni Madueke has been superb in his absence, so he’s not been missed too much.
Still, Saka is one of the finest attacking players in Europe on his day, and Arsenal won’t want to be without him for too long, especially when a big team like Man City are coming to the Emirates Stadium.
One injury expert seems confident that Arsenal will have been working to have Saka back for this weekend’s game.
Could Bukayo Saka return from injury in time for Arsenal’s game against Manchester City?
Speaking to the Metro, Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs, explained why it looked like work was going on behind the scenes to get Saka back to full fitness in time for City’s visit.
“Players in this situation are generally going to slot back in and train two or three times before they are available for selection,” Smith said.
Bukayo Saka applauds the Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium
Bukayo Saka applauds the Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“Not just the manager but the medical team will want to make sure they have been gradually exposed to all aspects of training. My understanding is that he did at least the first 15 minutes of training session on Monday before they went off (to Spain for the Champions League game).
“That would be very normal for what we see in terms of a gradual return we are talking about here.”
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He added: “It keeps within that timeline for a grade 2 hamstring strain so that is probably about right. So it is likely they are targeting, or at least having a very good look to see, if he can have some involvement in the City game.”
Smith’s company specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, so his insight could be useful to help Arsenal fans assess how likely it is for Saka to return to the squad by Sunday afternoon.