Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka was substituted against Bayer Leverkusen
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka was substituted against Bayer Leverkusen
Bukayo Saka's substitution against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek has caused concern.
The Arsenal winger was hauled off in the second half for Noni Madueke, during their 1-1 draw with the Bundesliga side at the BayArena.
The Gunners are still hunting down a famous quadruple this season and many have been left to wonder whether they should remove Saka from their Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams before the weekend.
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Is Bukayo Saka fit to feature against Everton?
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With 61 minutes on the clock and Mikel Arteta's side down by a goal, the Spaniard opted for a change in attack as Saka was replaced by fellow England team-mate Madueke.
It is rare that Arsenal's captain for the evening is withdrawn, given how highly Arteta thinks of the 24-year-old, but fears over an injury were allayed after the full-time whistle in Germany.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 22: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal is instructed by Mikel Arteta manager / head coach of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka of Arsenal is instructed by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
"I thought we needed something else and Noni has been contributing and being a real threat so I decided to make the change," said Arteta when asked about Saka's withdrawal.
"I'm not surprised at all because that's his biggest quality," he added when probed on Madueke's contribution.
"He's very brave at doing that and he’s a real threat so to have a player with that ability when we need him and to step in in the manner that he did, big credit to him."
Saka is expected to be fit and feature against Everton this weekend, as the Gunners look to continue their quest for Premier League glory this season.
Despite holding a healthy seven-point lead over Manchester City, the Sky Blues do have a game in hand over the league leaders, but for Arsenal, it's full focus on themselves with only eight games left to go.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is hoping to ensure Premier League glory this season
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is hoping to ensure Premier League glory this season
In FourFourTwo's view, we are fully expecting Saka to feature against David Moyes's side this weekend, with it appearing his substitution was merely a tactical tweak.
Having lost only once on home soil this term, Arsenal will be hoping to take another step towards the title.