Bukayo Saka injury explained as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta provides update after Man City draw

Bukayo Saka was suffering with 'fatigue' in Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, Mikel Arteta has said.

The Gunners star was named in the starting XI despite being a doubt ahead of the game. Saka was forced to withdraw from the England squad earlier this month as a precaution.

Arteta confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that the forward hadn't trained ahead of the game. However, he played 78 minutes before being replaced by Gabriel Martinelli.

Saka walked off the field with the club physio in the second half, sparking concerns over his fitness. However, Arteta confirmed the academy product was just fatigued.

«As you know he’s been out for a few weeks now with a little problem,» he said. «He was feeling that fatigue. Right now he hasn’t trained. He trained just one day before the match. He made a big contribution, but 90 minutes was a lot today.»

Arsenal are next in action on Wednesday night against Luton Town before the tough trip to Brighton & Hove Albion next Saturday. Arteta will be hoping that the 22-year-old hasn't picked up another knock with a busy April ahead.

Gunners end Pep Guardiola's 57-game Etihad Stadium run

How Mikel Arteta achieved a first for Arsenal at Manchester City and why they failed to win

After next week's double header, the Gunners take on Bayern Munich (twice), Aston Villa, Wolves, Chelsea and Tottenham next month. They remain in the battle for both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League in the final two months of the 2023/24 season.

Sign up to our Arsenal WhatsApp community and get all the latest breaking news and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers direct to your phone.

By signing up to this free service you will be the first to know