BUKAYO SAKA has firmly established himself as one of Arsenal’s most dangerous attacking threats, and after a brief injury scare, the Gunners can breathe a sigh of relief—he’s ready to return.
The England winger was forced off during Arsenal’s 5-1 demolition of Crystal Palace with a hamstring issue, raising fears he might face another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
He was later seen leaving Selhurst Park on crutches, prompting concerns from both fans and manager Mikel Arteta.
But in a fresh update ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League clash with Fulham, Arteta confirmed Saka is “ready to go”; and could be in the starting XI.
“The careful things are already done, so now it's about putting him on the grass in the right moments, but he is pushing because he really wants it,”; Arteta said during his pre-match press conference.
How long was Bukayo Saka injured for?
Bukayo Saka has been sidelined since December after tearing his hamstring against Crystal Palace.
It was Saka's third hamstring injury in the 2024/25 campaign after he picked up a similar knock while on international duty with England during the October and November fixtures.
However, none of those setbacks were serious enough to keep him out of action on a long-term basis.
Arsenal, who are in the thick of multiple competitions, will be eager to have Saka firing on all cylinders again as they push for domestic and European success.
As Arteta put it: “He is another massive weapon.
“We know the impact he has had on the team and how important his role and his contribution is to our success, so it's great to have him back.”;
What games did Bukayo Saka miss for Arsenal?
Saka’s back just in time, as Arsenal are 12 points off the pace set by Liverpool at the top, sitting in second.
And they’ve got their last nine Premier League matches of the season coming up, plus a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
Saka was unavailable for several crucial matches, such as the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle and the FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester United.
And the North London derby against bitter local rivals Tottenham.
What was surgery did Saka have?
Arteta revealed after Arsenal's 1-0 win over Ipswich on December 27, that Saka underwent surgery on his hamstring.
Speaking post-match, the Spaniard said: “I prefer to leave it to the doctor. But yes Bukayo had surgery, and he will be out for many, many weeks.
“Many weeks, I think it will be more than two months, I don’t know how long it will take with the scar tissue or improving his mobility.”;
“We have to rely on the team, that is our strength, we are a team of players who can score 20/30 goals together.”
However, speaking about the prospect of his return, Arteta said: “It's the energy he transmits, that he has missed the thing that he loves the most in his life, which is to be around the team, to play, to train and compete at the highest level.
“The fact he is able to come in the most important part of the season is a massive boost for him and to the team as well.
“You haven't played for three months but you played for the last 48. Three in 48 is a very small percentage.
“I haven't done the housekeeping duties for a week but I've done them for 10 years, so I know what to do, I know how to maintain it. The habit is there, so don't think about that.”
