By TAMARA PRENN, SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Bukayo Saka left the pitch with an injury in the 53rd minute during Arsenal‘s clash with Leeds on Saturday afternoon, leaving Mikel Arteta with a looming concern ahead of his side’s trip to Anfield next weekend.
Saka went down moments after the hosts scored their third goal against the visitors, courtesy of blockbuster summer signing Viktor Gyokeres.
The England international pulled up on the pitch and was briefly attended to by medical staff, before signaling to his manager that he would need to be replaced.
Before exiting the field, Saka had scored Arsenal’s second, with the Gunners in cruise control thanks to a 4-0 lead in the second-half at the Emirates.
Saka took his time to exit the field gingerly, and was greeted by his manager with a hug as he was swapped for Leandro Trossard.
The 23-year-old has cause for concern, even if his substitution was a precautionary one, after missing a large chunk of last season due to a hamstring tear.
Saka picked up the injury against Crystal Palace last December, and was forcibly sidelined until early April.
Arsenal will be left sweating the fitness of star man Bukayo Saka after he was forced off injured
There were worrying scenes at the Emirates as Saka was tended to on the pitch for some time
Mikel Arteta will be concerned by the potential loss of the academy graduate before their trip to face Liverpool at Anfield
Arsenal’s No 7 underwent surgery before the end of 2024, and as he recovered, his absence from Arteta’s starting XI was deeply felt – with the playing having previously only missed out on 10 games during Arsenal’s last 172 matches in all competitions.
In January of this year, Arteta even compelled his injured winger to go on holiday, to ‘get away for a few days and refresh’.
The prospect of an injury to Saka will likely cast a pall over an otherwise celebratory day for the north London club.
As well as Saka and Gyokeres’ goals, their home performance was burnished by a brace from Jurrien Timber, with Daniel Farke’s side entirely overrun during their trip to the capital.
Ahead of kick-off, Arsenal fans were also treated to a glimpse of their newest signing Eberechi Eze, who came onto the pitch to greet his new fanbase after signing a shock move back to his boyhood club from Crystal Palace.
The 27-year-old was the subject an 11th-hour swoop by Arsenal, who snatched the £60million signing back from their loathed north London rivals Tottenham – who hours before believed that they had won the race to his signature.
Eze is the club’s seventh signing of the summer, taking their spend to a staggering £250m.
The 23-year-old had previously scored Arsenal’s second as they pulled off a rout versus Leeds
Captain Martin Odegaard was also forcibly substituted due to injury during the home clash
But the day had begun brightly with the announcement of new signing Eberechi Eze at home
Arsenal’s move for the star is thought to have been sharpened by another injury within the club’s set-up, with Kai Havertz having picked up a knee injury during their opening Premier League match against Manchester United.
After Saturday evening, Arsenal may also have to worry about the fitness of their talismanic captain Martin Odegaard, after the Norway international was, like Saka, forced off with an injury.
Arteta’s squad will meet Premier League champions Liverpool at home in their next time, on the afternoon of Sunday, August 31.
