Bukayo Saka injury latest with Arsenal return plans explained for Man City clash | Football

Not for the first time, Bukayo Saka’s fitness is a concern for Arsenal fans.

The 24-year-old has so often been an ever-present figure in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI, once playing 87 consecutive Premier League games for the Gunners.

Arsenal have gone some way in addressing their overreliance on the Hale End academy graduate who has regularly carried them over the years. But in a season where they finally have viable alternatives, his output has dropped.

A return of nine goals and seven assists is meagre by his standards. While one can argue the manner in which Arsenal are playing this season has impacted that, Saka has at times been far from his usual self.

While only he can say for sure, physical demands placed on him over the years could be playing a role.

Last season, Saka missed three months – 21 games in total – with a torn hamstring that required surgery. Early in the 2025-26 season there was another hamstring issue, albeit a less severe one that saw him sit out of five matches.

A hip problem saw him miss games against Leeds, Sunderland and Chelsea in late January with his latest Achilles injury a concern heading into Sunday’s titanic Premier League clash with Manchester City.

As is typical of the Arsenal manager, Arteta has been cautious over revealing details behind his latest issue. Saka withdrew from international duty with England in March and missed games against Southampton, the first leg against Sporting CP and the weekend defeat to Bournemouth before his manager eventually disclosed it is an Achilles injury hampering his winger.

‘It’s something that he was carrying for a while,’ Arteta said. ‘It’s progression but hopefully it’s going to be a matter of days and not weeks. But he has to see when the load is more how he responds to that kind of progression.’

Achilles injuries have dominated headlines this week after Hugo Etkike’s devastating blow against Paris Saint-Germain. The Liverpool striker has suffered a rupture of his Achilles tendon, ending his season and his hopes of playing for France at the World Cup this summer. It is regarded as one of the most serious injuries a footballer can pick up with the recovery process long and painful.

Saka’s issue is likely at the other end of the of Achilles injury spectrum, a ‘common and manageable’ one according to Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare.

Arsenal have not disclosed the exact nature of the problem but a tendonitis or a tendinopathy, inflammation of the tendon from repetitive strain, is likely to be the source of Saka’s current woes.

It should be no surprise that Arsenal have been exercising extreme caution over one of their most prized assets with managing the injury the solution right now rather than a quick fix.   

‘These issues can be caused when you get these tiny pieces of microtrauma around the tendon that causes swelling and causes pain,’ Smith told Metro. ‘That’s very, very common.

‘They will manage him, manage his training and exercise load and they will be treating that very differently to how they would if it was a tear or a rupture. But it is very common and manageable.

‘It isn’t about taking him out of the picture for a prolonged period and treating it, it is about managing it. If this is what it is, it is a chronic issue that can persist for a number of seasons that players must learn to manage. The medical staff will be looking at how he responds day-to-day and if that pain or swelling is increasing, that is a signal for them to intervene more so they will be constantly tracking things.

‘And they will look for pockets of elongated time where they can either get him off his feet or time to go do strength and rehabilitation work.’

Arsenal have indeed kept Saka out of the firing line. His last appearance for the club was in the Carabao Cup final against City on 22 March, sitting out of England friendlies and his club’s four games since the end of the international break.

He is one of four doubts heading into the weekend with Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafiori also unavailable in recent games.

Every game for Arsenal has been important but Sunday’s trip to the Etihad towers above all else. Have the Gunners been saving Saka for the big one? It is a very likely situation, one every club will have utilised at some point.

‘We call it tactical periodisation,’ Smith continued. ‘They will be periodising their season, looking at the calendar tactically and thinking these are the games we want to target and we need players in a certain condition for them.

‘They will be building up all their preparation specifically for performance in that game. There is no doubt in my mind they will have an action plan for how they will manage Saka and everyone else in the squad leading up to the game on Sunday.’

Pre-match press conferences usually provide the biggest indication whether a player will play at the weekend. But so often reporters and supporters have been left none the wiser when Arteta speaks, preferring to keep his cards close to his chest.

Only the Arsenal boss, his staff and Saka himself will know how close he is to returning when his club might need him most.

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