Bukayo Saka wasn’t able to find a replacement for Arsenal during the summer transfer window, but Mikel Arteta seems to have a plan in place despite reports of an ongoing Achilles injury.
This season, Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, must carefully control Bukayo Saka’s playing time.
Bukayo Saka’s workload will need to be managed appropriately by Mikel Arteta given reports the Arsenal winger is still having Achilles problems.
The Daily Mail noted that this is one of the factors contributing to the 22-year-old’s exclusion from England’s starting lineup for their match against Scotland on Tuesday night.
However, being the victim of some strong defending in the 1-1 draw with Ukraine three days earlier was also a factor.
Since persistent injuries are common in professional football, it is ultimately Arsenal’s responsibility to handle the situation effectively to prevent a serious injury.
Arteta can accomplish this in a number of ways, but one is by continuing to manage Saka’s minutes.
Given that he started the England international in every game of the previous season, save for one, and only gave the winger a full break once throughout the entire campaign—during the 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup—the Spaniard may find it challenging to pull this off.
Lack of a natural replacement was used as justification for the excessive reliance on Saka. Arteta prefers his wingers to play on the side that allows them to cut in onto their stronger foot, but Nicolas Pepe joined OGC Nice on loan last summer while Marquinhos wasn’t good enough to be a threat.
Ironically, despite the fact that both players are currently gone from the club, nothing has changed regarding the situation.
How Arteta intends to handle Saka’s playing time as the season progresses, though, may have been quietly revealed by the decisions made during the Gunners’ preseason.
The selections of Arsenal’s double squad are analyzed.
Gabriel Jesus played on the right wing when Arsenal’s 2023–24 season preparations got underway with a friendly match against Watford at the start of July.
The Brazilian is familiar with this position because he frequently played it during his final season at Manchester City before joining the team.
Of course, it’s no secret that the 26-year-old prefers to play as a central striker, but he definitely possesses the skills to fill this role regularly if necessary, and it’s a way to pair him with Eddie Nketiah given the Gunners’ academy graduate’s promising start to the season.
Fabio Vieira is an alternative who can occupy the right position. There are calls for the £34 million transfer from Porto to be given a start after back-to-back game-changing performances before the international break, but he did start the Emirates Cup match against AS Monaco out wide and his left foot makes him the most suitable Saka replacement.
Leandro Trossard, who is more two-footed than the other two, is an alternative.
Even though they were primarily used on Arteta’s other flank and have a very different aesthetic from Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson, and Emile Smith Rowe should be able to play on the right.
Amario Cozier-Duberry, a wonderkid, must be taken into consideration if a replacement is needed that is like-for-like.
He has been on the periphery of the first team without yet breaking through, and he has been compared to the Gunners’ number seven.
Maybe this season will bring him that opportunity.
The cup match against Brentford appears to be the most likely opportunity for Saka to be rested given Arsenal’s remaining seven games before the October international break. But Arteta should feel secure enough if his plans need to change because he has the aforementioned options at his disposal.
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