Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice - Arsenal injury news and return dates ahead of Bournemouth clash

Mikel Arteta is facing an anxious wait regarding Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice's fitness ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash against Bournemouth on Saturday. The two England internationals were left out of the matchday squad against Brentford in the Carabao Cup third round earlier this week.

Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber remain sidelined with their own injury issues leaving Arteta's options short ahead of the trip to Bournemouth. This couldhand the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Mohamed Elneny the chance of featuring against the Cherries.

With all of that being said, here's a look at the latest Arsenal injury news and return dates ahead of the trip to Bournemouth this weekend...

Bukayo Saka was taken off against Spurs, with the 22-year-old in severe pain after taking a knock on his foot during the dying embers of the game. This is not thought to be anything serious though, and the England winger is recovering.

Arteta seemingly hinted that the Hale End academy graduate's issue could keep him out for a game or two during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday morning. Saka posted a cryptic post on Instagram showing him in a gym — suggesting he may be working on his recovery ahead of Bournemouth.

However, in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arteta admitted that Saka hadn't yet trained with the senior team since the derby, marking him as a major doubt for tomorrow's clash.

What Mikel Arteta has said (September 29): «He [Martinelli] hasn't trained, we need him back, we want him back. [For Saka and Trossard], it's the same situation.»

September 26: «He was limping quite badly after the match. We had to get him off the field which is never a good sign.

»He hasn’t been